


Kuroko no Circus

by CerurianAkuma



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Circus, Bottom Kagami, KiKuro - Freeform, M/M, akafuri - Freeform, aokaga - Freeform, fine. there are loads of vulgarities, murahimu, takamido - Freeform, vulgarities sprinkled here and there
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-31
Updated: 2016-01-27
Packaged: 2018-04-12 05:56:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 19,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4467932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CerurianAkuma/pseuds/CerurianAkuma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kagami's POV</p><p>When I ran to join the circus, I was seventeen. I had finally gathered the strength and courage to escape the hellhole I had been living in since I was a young child. Wait, let me rephrase that. A young tiger cub hybrid. Yes, I'm a hybrid. A magnificent Bengal tiger hybrid, at that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Self-Introduction

**Kagami's POV**

 

When I ran to join the circus, I was seventeen. I had finally gathered the strength and courage to escape the hellhole I had been living in since I was a young child. Wait, let me rephrase that. A young  _tiger cub hybrid._ Yes, I'm a hybrid. A magnificent Bengal tiger hybrid, at that.

In case you did not guess, my genes were fused with one of a tiger's when I was five. The scientists kept me in their lab, their ultimate project. Every day was torture, receiving a dozen injections after my meals, usually anaesthetic to make sure I didn't attack them after gaining energy. For years, I lived in Hell. The outside world was a beautiful place, full of joy, laughter and freedom. What I had always wanted but never had.

Well, back to the circus.

The ringmaster who kindly received me, with glinting scissors at my throat, was called Akashi Seijuurou. He had unusual eyes of gold and ruby, radiating the aura of a fierce lion. His lack of height was not to be taken lightly, as I found out, the hard way. Akashi-san had a personal saying of his, " I am absolute". -cough- **God** -hack-  **Complex** -cough-.However, to take me in, he must have a big heart.

Furihata Kouki was like a timid Chihuahua, in my opinion. Even though he had such a personality, his amber brown eyes showed that he could be a force to be reckoned with when he had to. He sold the tickets, his figure usually found hidden behind the counter. I suppose he was nice company, when he wasn't stammering.

The raven-haired male, who I found out was called Takao Kazunari was an assistant to a fortune teller. He was a funny guy with a good sense of humour, his easy-going attitude comforting to all. His job was to get anxious customers to relax before getting their fortune told. He constantly clung to this tall-ass dude who he kept calling " my Shin-chan~!". Yes, the exact tone.

This "Shin-chan"'s full name was Midorima Shintarou. He had weird green hair and eyes. His left hand was forever bandaged with the medical tape he carried around, with a habit of lightly scratching at the bandage. Not only that, he always pushed up his spectacles with the bandaged fingers. He foretold people's fortune by communicating with "Oha-Asa", with his "lucky item of the day" by his side. Midorima also had this motto of his, "Man proposes, God disposes". Talk about superstitious.

There was also a purple-haired man. No, not man. Superhuman Titan. His name was Murasakibara Atsushi, and had an abnormal craving for sweets. And  _I_ thought that I ate a lot. He towered over everyone, and was the food seller. Well, he ate more than he made. Murasakibara was very childish, like a three year old in a seventeen year old's body. 

The one who managed to keep him under control was Himuro Tatsuya. I decided I liked this person. He treated me like a younger brother, so I treated him as my older brother in return. Tatsu-nii had an unusual beauty mark under his visible violet eye, the other hidden under ebony hair. He assisted Murasakibara at the stalls, the more productive one of the duo.

One who caught my interest was Aomine Daiki. He had a laid-back, lazy attitude. The tan, navy haired male had the likes of a panther, a dangerous one. I disliked him, arrogant face and all. Cheh, "the only one who can beat me, is me" my ass! Furthermore, he insulted my eyebrows. In return, I called him a lazy dickface. Unbelievable, how can  _he_ be an animal tamer? I bet ten bucks he mistreats animals.

A bubbly, energetic blondie kept hanging around me. He kinda frightened me cause he was like some breed of dog. A golden retriever? Ah, I don't care. His name, Kise Ryouta, a nice enough name, I guess. He kept gushing over me like " Aw, poor thing!". Excuse me, I'm a tiger. Tiger, you idiotic acrobat.

"Excuse me." OH FUCKING LUCIFER!!! The last was Kuroko Tetsuya, the magician. He literally had no presence, like some kind of ghost. A polite ghost with sky blue hair and eyes. Apparently, he had been there the entire time, which kinda freaked me out. I mean, he like, materialised out of nowhere! That's scary! This trick of his, called "misdirection", was his speciality. And so was disappearing acts. Explains how he was the magician.

Akashi explained my act. The previous tiger they had was too old to perform, so guess who was the lucky tiger who would take its place. Yay, me. I knew he had a purpose for taking me in.

There you have it. A mafia boss, a mouse, a friendly dude, a tsundere, a 2 metre tall Titan, a brother figure, an egoistic asshole, a dog, and a spirit. Now just add a tiger in the equation.  _Voilá._ Roll up, roll up.


	2. First day of training

So like, apparently, I have to start work today, according to Akashi-san. He said it'll be simple tricks and stuff, but c'mon,  **Akashi, please, I'm also part human, how hard can it be?**

- _3 hours later-_

Okay, I'm dead. Someone please dig me a nice-enough grave and bury me in a coffin. Don't forget the flowers.

- _The training that caused me to die-_

My trainer was Aomine. Yep, that asshole. The very sight of him had my fur bristling, and my lips drawing back in a growl. Hopefully, this would scare him. 

...

It didn't. That stupid guy just kept walking, no,  _stalking_ towards me, holding out his hand. I tried growling deeper, but I kinda.....uh....choked on my saliva so....yeah.  **THAT BASTARD LAUGHED AT ME. YEAH, KEEP LAUGHING, AHOMINE, I HOPE YOU LAUGH SO HARD YOU FALL OFF A CLIFF.**

Then he patted my nose. Holy crap. His fingers are so warm and all. Those talented fingers of his reached behind my ears, as they rubbed with the correct amount of pressure. I tried to stop myself, key word,  **tried,** but it was pretty hard not to...purr.

That idiot smirked and scratched behind my ears. Oh god, how does he know how to do that?! GAHHHHHHHH!! All too soon, Aomine stopped. I whimpered pathetically and butted his stomach with my head to get more, but he just patted my head and took one of my paws. 

Wait a second....JUST HOW DID I MORPH INTO MY TIGER FORM? Oh shit, don't tell me its some chemical reactions to jerks...

So, continuing my story. He held my paw gently and stuck his hand into his pocket. I started to get a little frightened now. What if he was trying to kill me or something?  **OH GODS I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE, I DON'T WANNA DIE A VIRGINNNNNN-**

He just took out nail clippers. Oh. I didn't expect that. Aomine started to trim my nails, and softly cooing to me.  **EXCUSE ME, I'M SEVENTEEN, AND A MALE. LET ME BEAT SOME SENSE INTO YOUR HEAD.**

Well, at least he did a good job of it. Quickly done too. So, maybe I was a little pleased with having my nails short and clean, but it didn't change the fact that I still disliked the guy. But still....my ten bucks, goodbye...I could have bought food with you...

The training officially started. Well,  _my_ training officially started. Aho just plonked his lazy ass on a seat and directed me from the sidelines. If he felt I didn't do the stunts good enough, he had me redo them over and over again until he deemed them passable. After, say 2 hours?, I collapsed on the dusty ground, morphing back into my human form.

- _Back to my dying self-_

I leave my money to Tatsu-nii, for being like my brother, and- oh, Murasakibara just gave me a corndog. Mmmmn, he's quite nice. Maybe I won't die after eating 80 corndogs. And the vanilla milkshake that Kuroko kindly offered. And my "lucky item" , a bag of popcorn, from Midorima and Takao. And a candy floss from Kise. And a burger from Tatsu-nii. And a bottle of mineral water from Akashi-san.Oi Ahomine, where's my treat?

Well, at least I won't die that easily.

 


	3. My Wonderful First Performance

My first performance. Oh fuck, this is terrifying. Like, the audience are looking through you, as if they are trying to find all your mistakes and make you mess up and oh c'mon I don't even make sense now. Calm down, Taiga, caaaaaaaaaalm down. Yep, you'll do great. I motivate myself so damn well I should consider being a counsellor or therapist. But people will freak if I morph into my animal form-OH STOP DISTRACTING YOURSELF AND GET A GRIP, KAGAMI TAIGA.

Ahem, moving on. This is the day where my efforts of jumping through darned hoops comes to the test. Akashi-san said I'll do just fine, because I've been trained by Aomine. Excuse me,  ** _I_  **did the work, not him. If I do perfectly well, credit goes to me. And the others for helping me survive. No credit for Asshole-mine. Yay.

- _timeskip-_

Yeah, I think I did pretty well. Cheering and clapping means good, right?

_-the performance-_

The act was pretty simple, to be honest. After a description of the act from Akashi-san, Aomine and I got to work. When I say Aomine and I, I mean me. That's right. Anyways, the blue jerk led me out of my cage, which I was quite relieved to get out of. I mean, when was the last time that thing had been cleaned? Ew. After that, I jumped through the flaming hoops without scorching my fur off. Yes, the hoops burned. I nearly singed off a tuff of fur near my ear, when I jumped too high. Gotta jump a little lower next time. 

The ending was a couple of tricks, like one where Aomine put his head into my mouth. THAT. WAS. DISGUSTING.  **I'LL FUCKING NEED TO WASH MY MOUTH A MILLION TIMES.** Well, that was over and done with, so we took a bow and exited the ring, loud clapping and excited cheering behind us.

_-continuing from my speech-_

So, no credit for the navy-haired idiot. Oh.....hang on....that douche is coming....mm, scratch harder~ prrrrrn~ Warm, warm handdddddd~ Oh, a treat! .... Okay, Aomine gets some credit. As long as he'll keep-ahhhh~ That's the spot~ OH GODS, RUB MY EAR DAMNIT. AND GIVE ME ANOTHER TREAT.

Oh, no more.... That's kinda...sad...

Well, since I have extra time, I'll keep on my human form, and go see what the other performances are like! Oh, Kuroko's on now. There's a huge box beside him, and he's asking for a volunteer. ME ME ME MEEEEEEEE-...he chose someone else. But he winked at me- OH THAT LITTLE DIPSHIT, HE DID IT DELIBERATELY! BAD KUROKO, BAAAAAAAAAAAAD. He's getting into the box and asking the guy he chose to insert the knives into the slits. OMG KUROKO, I DIDN'T MEAN TO. PLEASE LIVE. OMFG THAT GUY IS PIERCING THE BOX. Kuroko, you were a good person. I wish I got to know you longer, but- Kuroko's alive. Wow. He's gotta teach me that one day. 

I got kinda hungry after that, glad that Kuroko was okay, so I headed towards Tatsu-nii and Murasakibara's booth. ... I think I'm in heaven. The smell.....I think I'm drooling. Eck, I just drooled on myself. Kagami, keep your mouth closed. TATSU-NII, I WANT FOODDDDDD. Ohmygod,myprayersareanswered. Popcorn good, very good. Taiga happy. OH NO I'M SPEAKING IN THIRD PERSON, WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME.

Wait Takao, I don't want my fortu-forget it. Drag me to Midorima's tent huh, I'll put all my weight on my heels to make life difficult for you. Oh great, here I am, at the fortune teller's tent. Don't underestimate the small people, they're scary. And strong. Midorima is just looking at me like : what the fuck, bitch.

Keh, you think I wanted to come here? Just get it over and done with. 

...

Wow, My fortune is weird. He said I'll find someone who'll love and cherish me for the rest of my life. Real original, dude. Great fortune telling, all fortune tellers say the exact same thing. Something tells me it's not a lie though, and Takao is just sniggering in a corner while 'Fortune-Teller'-sama is biting back an amused snort. So mature of you two.

When I went back into the ring, Kise was just... woah, THAT BACKFLIP WAS SO FUCKEN AWESOME. HE JUST FLEW LIKE 'WHEEEEE' AND LANDED ON THE OTHER SWING.  **I MUST LEARN THAT MOVE.** Unfortunately, the show was over, as I had arrived at the last bit. Akashi-san then came back on to end the show and all, blah blah blah, people go home.

After all the stuff, Akashi-san gave us a debrief, like congratulating us for our hard work. And I finally saw Furihata, after the entire day. Just for a moment. Woah. I think he was hiding behind the counter all day, poor guy. Well, late, tired, Aomine gonna carry me back to our tent. I hope he doesn't dump me on the floor. PLEASE PUT ME ON THE BED, AOMINE, I BEG YOU.

 

 


	4. Tentmates

Mm, I woke up on the bed. Thank goodness Aomine put me on the bed, otherwise I would claw those goddamn eyes of his out with my beauties. Not like I'll really do that, actually. Maybe just slap him. On the head. With a metal bat. Accidentally. 

Moving on, the bed was kinda warm. I think he put a heater in my bed or something, I'll better thank him for that later. Oh wait, he's just lying.....beside....HOLY MOTHERFUCKING SHIT WHY IS HE IN MY BED. I spat at him and dug my (human) nails into his arm, forcing him to awake with a howl. 

The very second he saw we were on the same bed though, he flipped his shit so hard and fell off the bed. LOL. SERVES THAT BASTARD RIGHT FOR STEALING MY BED. AHAHAHA. His eyes were open so darned wide, looking so comical and stupid, I just ended up laughing so hard I nearly split my sides.  Of course, he couldn't handle a bit of fun, and he pulled me down too.

I landed on him though, heh. More specifically, on his stomach. He screamed and tackled me, flipping me so that I was under him. As if  _I_ would go without a fight. Even though I didn't manage to reverse our positions, at least I tried. 

We kinda woke up the rest though. Tatsu-nii arrived first, all worried and screaming: " Little bro! Are you okay?! Did that bastard kill you? I'M GOING TO MUTILATE HIM!", followed by Murasakibara, still complaining about having no sweets. Kuroko appeared out of nowhere, like a ninja, and Kise burst in, crying because he thought we fought to death. Takao was more....excited, grabbing in Midorima, who was wearing a night cap. Omg, lewl. Akashi-san just walked in calmly, with a wheezing Furihata by his side. 

Eventually, they managed to pull me and Aomine apart, but not before I threw in another punch. A good one it was, too. Even apart, both of us continued to growl at each other, straining to break free and fight some more. When my energy had died down a little, I finally realized that the rest were looking at me, a bit red in the face.

" Ka-Kagamicchi, your shirt...." Kise stuttered, face bright. Puzzled, I looked down, before yelping in horror. OH GOODNESS, WHY WAS I WEARING NOTHING BUT A FLIMSY NIGHTSHIRT?! Moreover, a corner of the shirt had ridden up my thigh! I scrambled back under the protection of my blanket, thoroughly embarrassed and traumatized.

" AHOMINE, YOU DUMB FUCK!" I yelled at him, throwing a pillow at his face, satisfied when it hit the target spot-on. " Hey, I helped you change and this is how I get rewarded?! UNGRATEFUL." Aomine threw the pillow back at me. "Aomine-kun....you...." Kuroko was quivering.

At first, I thought he was cold or something. Then he raised his head. I nearly pissed myself. Luckily, I wasn't going to be the victim. Aho received an ignite pass kai* in his stomach. Akashi-san was kind enough to give me a pair of underw- ahem, ahem, I'm pretty sure you all know. Takao shouted, "Remember to use protection!" before the rainbow squad and extras left, leaving me with my tentmate.

I hate being tentmates with Aomine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Ignite pass kai: evolved version of ignite pass, found in manga.


	5. Sleepover

Akashi-san just invited all of us to have a sleepover at his and Furihata's tent! He said we just had to bring blankets and pillows, and most importantly, ourselves and our tentmates. Easy for him to say. He doesn't have to wake an obnoxious idiot, does he. Seriously, not only does Aho hog up my bed space, he also refuses to get up on time! Ugh, how horrible.

-  _after a few minutes-_

 **" WAAAAAAAKE UP! FUCKING AHOMI-MMPH!** " I glared at the tan hand on my mouth, slapping it away. Ew, he better not have been jerking off with that hand. OH SHIT, WHAT IF HE DID. NOOOOOOOOO. As retribution, I kicked him out of the bed we currently shared. Body heat  _is_ better than blankets, I guess. Well, I kicked hard enough, I'm sure. The curses and swears confirmed my point. 

As Aomine crawled up painfully, I quickly got to preparing for the sleepover. It  _was_ my first sleepover, after all. How can you blame a young tiger for getting excited? I just hope the rest prepared enough food.

- _timeskip-_

We all gathered in a circle, blankets on the floor. Kuroko had taken up residence at the spot beside me, and Ahomine at the other. Poor Kuroko, having to deal with Kise. Actually, Kise had wanted to take Kuroko's current spot in the first place, but seeing how _totally not_  frightened I was when I saw the doggish aura from the blonde guy, Kuroko kindly took the spot. Damn, Kuroko, I owe you one. Midorima wore his night cap again. OMG THAT THING LOOKS RIDICULOUS ON HIM. Takao kept saying how adorable his "Shin-chan" looked, while Midorima laid out their blankets side by side with a stoic expression. Takao has weird taste. 

Murasakibara, as predicted, took the place near Tatsu-nii's blankets. His blanket looked surprisingly bulky and lumpy. Oh, he just opened it. Oh my......SWEETS GALORE. WHY- Kuroko just appeared beside me with an armful of candies! Oh, I love this little guy already. No homo. Casper the friendly ghost, lol. 

Furihata didn't make much noise, just a couple of squeaks. Yep, definitely a mouse. Very tidy though. And nice. He just offered me a cracker,mm. Yes, he's very, very nice. Could work on his communication skills though. Akashi-san shared blankets with him, which is really surprising. For one, he doesn't share. And he has those scissors by his side. OH GOD, HE SLEEPS WITH THEM!? HOLY FUCK.

In case your imagination is shit, let me help you with their places. In clockwise, me(duh.), Jerkwad, Purple Giant, Tatsu-nii, "Shin-chan"'s #1 fan, Spec dude, Mousie, Kami-sama, Blondie, El Ghosto, then back to me. Helpful? I bet I was loads helpful, don't deny it.

- _timeskip-_

"Now, for the highlight-ssu!" Kise cheered happily. "Muro-chin, more candy."Murasakibara reached over Tatsu-nii to get to his stash, munching happily. Whoa, highlight? How come _I_ didn't know about this? "Whose turn is it now?" Takao asked cheerfully, hugging Midorima like he was a giant stuffed toy. "Mine." CRAP, KUROKO WAS THERE?! Be still, My heart, be still. Whew, all calmed down. 

" It was a dark and stormy night...." The sky-blue haired male spoke, voice carrying a darker tone. A-a ghost story!? B-BUT! NO! I trembled silently. "What, you scared?" Aomine taunted, smirk stretching across his face. HMPH, I'LL SHOW HIM. Determined, I grabbed the popcorn and started chomping down on the caramel treat. " A group of friends had gotten lost in a forest... They were cold and hungry..." Kuroko continued. Is it me, or is it getting colder? Oh well, must be getting chilly. I snuggled in the comfort of my blanket, feeling a bit better. 

" After hours of wandering, they reached a mansion. It was in bad condition, worn down and in serious need of repair." The monotone voice got lower. I looked around. The others were fine! Even Furihata wasn't the least bit bothered by it! My shaking hands reached for more popcorn, popping the kernels into my mouth. 

" A crash of thunder. Lightning split the sky in half, opening the sky, a torrent of rain unleashed on the earth." At this, the booming sound of thunder resounded in the tent, lightning illuminating the faces of my circus mates. The rain struck against the canopy, like tiny pebbles, falling off steadily. This....was starting to get creepy.... I huddled in my blanket, waiting for the torture to be over.

" With no choice left, the teenagers ran to the mansion to seek shelter. One of them reached for the doorknob, slowly twisting it..." His words, which could hardly be heard when the rain started, was soft and clear, as the rain lessened. OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT. DUDE, DON'T DO IT! AND I HAVE NO MORE POPCORN! SOMEBODY, DO SOMETHING!

" A jolt went down his spine, as cold fingers slowly trailed down his back. He turned behind...."Co-cold fingers!? A-ahaha, must be just me scaring myself. Yep, no such things as ghosts. D-definitely not. Yea-yeah.... There must be someone there. Just let me turn around and check... N-nobody's there... Ta-Taiga, don't scare yourself...

"Boo." A ghostly face suddenly appeared before me. " **KYAAAAAAAAAA!!"** I screamed and jumped onto the nearest thing I could find, arms tightening around it. My heartbeat sped up, as I buried my face in it. Its...warm... " Bakagami, so you  _are_ scared. Cute scream, by the way." That smug voice. I immediately released, glaring at Kuroko, who had shone a torchlight below his face. He shrugged, eating a piece of popcorn. SO HE WAS ALSO THE ONE WHO TOOK MY POPCORN. WELL THAT LITTLE....

" Never knew you were so affectionate, hmm?" The smug-faced bastard smirked. As if. I was just scared. Oh well, I'm glad it's over. But what if..... " You can have this tiger plush. It's your lucky item for today. Your ranking was ranked last, and I had a feeling you might need this." Midorima adjusted his spectacles, handing the plushie over. Takao just....fanboy-ed over how how caring his "Shin-chan" was for his friends. 

 " There's a panther right? The ghost won't dare touch you while I'm here." Aomine added.  Well, I suppose he had a point.... " Taiga, you are a member of us. Besides, no one defies my orders. The ghost will not come here." The dual-eyed male explained. All nodded their agreement. As Akashi-san switched off the lights, I cuddled the plush,  relieved that I had such great friends, my family.

 


	6. My Food Intake

" Kagami-kun, it's dinnertime." The ghost dude suddenly appeared beside me. Yes, I screamed. Who wouldn't? That dude is creepy, I swear to God. Real creepy. And I still haven't forgiven him for the ghost story incident. 

Wait, DID SOMEONE SAY DINNERTIME? OMG YAS. I bounded out of the training ring, morphing back into human form. Mm, the smell of food was making me drool.... It _was_ the first time I was having a proper dinner in the tent, seeing how we had all been too busy with the shows to eat properly. Damn, I just realised how much I missed having rice for a meal....Ignore me being sentimental, will you? -sob sob- Oh, dear rice grains how I have missed you so! 

Alright, weepy time over, now to eat! When I got to the dining room( yes, a dining room, probably paid with Akashi-san's money, him being rich and all, so I wonder why he's a ringmaster sometimes.), a few people had already started eating. Akashi-san sat at the head of the table, obviously, and the rest by the sides. Well, no more about that, I'm starving to the max!

\---

Oh....my....God...IT'S BUFFET. YES. I LOVE WORKING IN THE CIRCUS. I took a bit of everything, before sitting down next to Takao. Unknowingly, Kuroko had slid into the seat next to me and started drinking a vanilla shake. Seriously, is that the only thing he consumes? Man, he'll get diabetes! Murasakibara too. The titan is only eating sweets and snacks! God, people should learn to get a life and eat healthy. 

 Akashi-san eats quite a moderate amount....but a full set of cutlery?! Woah, rich dude much. Takao is feeding Midorima, who is sitting opposite him, and cooing. I kinda feel bad for the green-haired guy. He's blushing so hard his cheeks are pink! Poor dude. Kise is....he should stop talking while eating, he'll choke on his food one fine day. One fine sunny day. Furihata eats so little....thankfully Akashi-san is giving him food. Even if he is ordering Furihata to eat. Tatsu-nii is eating, while making small talk with Kuroko. Wow, they're both so polite. 

Aomine.....let's not talk about him, shall we? I might lose my appetite. Few seconds after I sat down, I realized everyone looking at my plate with a mix of horror and amazement. " Kagami, don't tell me you eat that much!?" Takao finally asked. " Um, I do?" I replied, tucking into my food. After a few mouthfuls, I realized everyone was still staring at me. "Whaf." Mouth full, I tried to speak. "Taiga, you look like a squirrel stuffing nuts into its cheeks." Tatsu-nii blurted out, before silently laughing behind his hand. At this, the whole table roared with laughter, especially Ahomine, who even fell off his chair. 

Mean. From then on, I always received more food though.

 


	7. Cooking

Mmbbb.......nobody's even wake yet...hungry....food...*mumble mumble*

- _10 minutes later-_

I think I'm awake now....enough. Anyways, none of the others are awake yet, I checked. So, early in the morning and no breakfast served, how suckish. Oh well, time to check the fridge for leftovers or something- DON'T ASK, I'LL ANSWER. FRIDGE FROM AKASHI-SAN, THE RICH DUDE. There. Now, breakfast beckons.

Found some eggs and meat in the fridge. Guess this means scrambled eggs with chicken for breakfast. Damn....I'm drooling already... I better start soon, I don't think my stomach can survive long enough. 

For the scrambled eggs, I cracked open a few  ~~hundred~~ eggs, whisking it in a bowl after adding a bit of salt and water, making the pale yellow mixture frothy and light. Frying the chicken was easy, simply applying some batter on it before deep-frying it in oil. Moments later, I heard voices approaching the kitchen.(yes, I know. 'A kitchen in a tent?!' you must be thinking. Again I'll tell you, with Akashi-san's money, anything is possible.) Not paying them much heed, I focused on scrambling the eggs.

A tan hand slung over my shoulder. "Bakagami, what's for breakfast?" Ahomine, the annoying ass, asked lazily, finger stuck in his ear. DAMN BASTARD, DON'T DIG YOUR EAR NEAR MY FOOD! With one foot, I delivered a swift kick to his stomach, while flipping the egg over. My breakfast was safe. Sliding the egg on one plate, and the chicken on another, I deposited both plates on the table. " Tiger-chan. You could cook?" Takao asked, sniffing at the eggs hungrily. " Yes, don't add '-chan' to my name. And my name is  _Taiga_ not  _Tiger._ " Rolling my eyes, I swatted away Kise's hand, which was straying towards my chicken.

" Kagamicchi so mean-ssu!" He whined, cuddling Kuroko tightly as crocodile tears fell from his eyes. Kuroko sighed, throwing a tissue at Kise to dry his tears with. "Taiga, could you share the meal with us? We're all hungry." Akashi-san asked, creepy smile on his face. I knew that face. It was the you-are-listening-to-me-unless-you-want-your-body-to-end-up-at-the-bottom-of-the-Nile-River. It was not a face to be messed with, even if you were half-dead. Reluctantly, I offered up a portion. Fortunately I had cooked extra.

Everyone dug in, as I started my routine of stuffing my cheeks with food. There was silence. I looked up. "Taiga....this food..." Tatsu-nii was looking a bit weird. I shifted in my seat, slightly worried. Why weren't they eating? Did it taste bad? I thought it tasted pretty okay. " it tastes delicious! How did you learn to cook?" He finished in amazement, forking a piece of chicken into his mouth, chewing. " Uh, I just tried?" Shrugging, I answered. Which is true, since it was my first real attempt at cooking. The cooks in the tent, whom I found out had been providing us with meals, had taught me a few simple recipes. Being in the kitchen was nice, like......home. Weird, I've never had a home until now. 

" Tatsuya is right, Taiga. This is comparable to world famous cuisine." Akashi-san looked stunned, lol. Well, food was food right? "Eat faster, it's getting cold." I mumbled embarrassedly, cheeks feeling a bit hot. DARN, MEN DON'T BLUSH. GAHHHHH. TAIGA NO. "Woah, it tastes like my mom's cooking." Aomine commented, eating while speaking. EW, GROSS. "Didn't your mom teach you table manners? DON'T EAT WITH YOUR MOUTH FULL." I snorted angrily. "Baka, it's 'Don't speak with your mouth full'. You even  _sound_ like a mom." He replied sarcastically. That's it, aho. EAT MY FIST.

"Kaga-chin, will Mine-chin be fine? He looks like he's dying." Murasakibara asked, bored expression on his face, egg on his cheek. How did he even eat like that?! "He'll be fine. Stop eating so messily." I grumbled, reaching over with a napkin to wipe the egg off. " Thanks *'Kaa-san." The purple-haired male said. The table went silent, before bursting into laughter. After that, Murasakibara always referred to me as "Kaga 'Kaa-san". 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *This is a slang I made for the word ' Okaa-san', meaning mother in Japanese.


	8. A Trip to Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saemoon's wonderful idea~ Thanks for the prompt~

We  _finally_ got a free day on our hands. This means no work, no damned hoop jumping~  **HECK YEAHHHHHHHH~** Don't judge. I know you're judging me. Don't. Oh, did I forget to mention that we're going to one of the nearby towns today? Akashi-san promised that we'll go, after hearing from Furihata that it was a pleasant place to go to. Geez, Akashi-san listens to almost everything Furihata says. Che, some kind of emperor  _he_ is, held on the leash by a Chihuahua. Pft.  **OH HOLY FUCK, NOT THE SCISSORS. I'M SORRY AKASHI! NO, I MEANT AKASHI-SAN. OMFG DON'T KILL ME.**

_-after narrowly escaping death-_

Phew, that was close. I didn't even realise I was voicing out my thoughts.... Thank goodness Kuroko was there to save me. Darn, thinking back, I think I owe him quite a lot. Crap. Oh I've got it! I'll buy him something from town to thank him. I'm such a  _genius,_ I don't even know how smart I am. Dayumn. Well, time to start getting ready for a little trip then~ 

- _few moments later-_

So, Akashi-san decided that we would get to the town on the circus horses, as the journey would take a while on foot. After loading our packs on the stallions, we headed off towards the direction of Trensford. The scenery of orchards made me.....uh.....hungry. The well-known asshole, a.k.a. Aomine Daiki, decided to make fun of my grumbling stomach. Well, you can't fault me for accidentally nudging him  _gently_ off the horse, can you? I knew you wouldn't. Not my fault he landed on a pile of horse manure either. Keh, it was rather hilarious, and apparently Tatsu-nii and the others found it amusing as well. Who wouldn't?

Ahomine ended up having to take a dip in a lake, using the bar of soap Furihata had kindly provided. There was only a set of clean trousers and undergarments, how unfortunate. He was shivering throughout the entire trip, wet shirt sticking to his skin uncomfortably. Not like I felt sorry for the guy. I really didn't, kay? ......Well, maybe a little... The navy-haired idiot looked pretty surprised when I threw him a towel. It must've been a trick of light but... I swear he smiled. Damn, struck my heart hard. I mean, I've seen everyone smile before, even  _Kuroko_  smiled slightly around Kise, but I never saw Aomine  _really_ smile before. He started teasing me about blushing after that though. What an ungrateful asswipe. 

Before long, we reached our destination. Horses put in the care of a stable, we stepped into town. The town was bustling, all sorts of different smells and sights to see. Dyed swatches of silk hung from long wooden spools, billowing lightly in the gentle breeze, delicate fingers running over it to check for texture, quality. Eyes roamed over us, curious whispers traded between the townsfolk. I blushed slightly, not used to attention in broad daylight, when in my human form.( tiger tail and ears excluded. A precaution I had to take outside the safety of the circus tents.) It must have been quite weird for a bunch of guys with multi-coloured hair visiting a marketplace. 

Awkwardly, we decided to separate to attract less attention. However, we also didn't want to get lost, so we decided to spilt into two groups. Murasakibara, Takao, Kise, Furihata and I in one group. Akashi-san, Kuroko, Tatsu-nii, Midorima and Aomine in another. Guess I was going to have a bit of time apart from Ahomine then. After promising to meet at the town square at noon( Furihata and Kuroko had pocketwatches to keep track of time), we departed with small waves and 'see you laters'. Honestly, Midorima looked a bit alone without Takao. Kise and Furihata latched beside him though, which was quite thoughtful of them. Murasakibara stuck close to me, whining how he wanted me to cook him sweets and all. Geez, I wasn't his mom. " Kaga 'Kaa-san."  **THE DAMN BRAT. HE DID NOT JUST CALL ME THAT WITH OTHER PEOPLE AROUND.** A quick glance around revealed that, yes, a few close by had heard. Midorima cracked a smile, Furihata looked like he was desperately trying not to laugh, and Kise just sniggered. Mean.

Our small group also bought a few food items( mainly for myself). Most of the time, I spent defending my food from the others, rather than eating it. Greedy pigs. Only Furihata didn't, he was too nice to do such a thing. After that, I secretly told Kise about getting a gift for Kuroko. Well, wrong choice. He screamed so shrilly I thought my eardrums would burst. Even after that, my ears were still ringing. Luckily, the other three did not hear his outburst. Thank goodness. Also, Kise decided to help me be discreet about it, promising the rest that the both of us were going to get something. Way to be discreet of him. Well, at least it seemed to have worked.

_-after twists and turns and asking for directions-_

A dusty old bookshop sat snugly between two salons, small and quaint. Dark ivy crawled over the sign : Ye Olde Book Shoppe. I lifted my eyebrow at the yellow-headed male who was vibrating with excitement. Getting a token for Kuroko would get him  _this_ happy? Sighing, I pushed open the oak door, bell jingling to signal the arrival of a customer. " Ye Olde Book Shoppe, what can I do for you?" An ancient-looking bespectacled old man shuffled towards us, sparse silver hair neatly combed. " Uh, popular books?" I asked hesitantly. Hell if _I_ knew what kind of book Kuroko liked. I didn't even know Kuroko  _read books,_ considering the fact that I had never seem him with a book in hand before. Kise quickly cut in." More specifically, Shakespeare's Hamlet." Woah, he knew a lot about Kuroko huh. After paying for the book, I carefully placed it into my satchel, taking care not to tear the fragile papers. Stepping out of the musty bookshop, pleased that I had got something for Kuroko, Blondie and I left to join the rest.

_-few minutes later-_

We're lost. We are so lost. Kise actually forgot how we had gotten there, becoming a useless pile of sobbing tears. " I'M SORRY, KAGAMICHIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!" He sobbed continuously, wiping snot on my sleeve. Ew. With a crybaby latched onto my arm, I wandered around aimlessly. With my tiger form, I would easily cover ground and find the others at the same time. Not a good idea though, so many humans being around. I'll probably scare the shit out of everyone. No choice, manually doing the job in human form would have to do.

"Hey there~!" A lady I had never seen before placed her hand on my shoulder. Did I know her before? Nah, probably not. " Excuse me, ma'am. I think you misunderstood me for someone else." I replied her politely, startled by her actions. "No, I've got the right person. Join me for a drink?" She hinted, winking at me while drawing me towards a seedy-looking inn. Oh god, disgusting. I tried resisting, pulling myself away from her grasp. The busty brunette pushed my hand towards her ample cleavage, purring at me. I wrenched my hand away quickly. WHAT A BITCH. I DIDN'T EVEN SWING THAT WAY. I escaped quickly, dragging Kise along with me.

_-after running-_

"Ouch!" I crashed full force into a heavy body. "Kaga 'Kaa-san?" THE GODS HAVE SAVED ME! Me sobbing into the titan's back, Furihata patted my hair, cooing reassuring words to me. No words were needed to explain. I have a feeling they knew I was upset, and needed comforting. Even Midorima patted my shoulder, however awkwardly he did it. It was the thought that counted, wasn't it?

- _noon, meeting time-_

Waiting at the open space was pretty scary. I had no idea when the woman from before would appear and attempt to get me away again. Cowering behind the tallest in our group, Murasakibara, I hid. Midorima stood to my left, while Kise and Furihata watched my right. The smart blonde had given the rest a good description of the looks of the lady, which was a relief. After a few tense minutes, I felt Murasakibara moving forward. I peeked from a gap, and upon sighting Kuroko and the rest of the circus troupe, nearly cried tears of relief. We retrieved the horses, making haste to get back to the comfort of the tents. 

- _back at the circus-_

Kuroko was really pleased with the book. I'm pretty sure he was tearing up, by the looks of the unusual shine in his eyes. Guess I had Kise to thank for that. Aomine even carried me onto the bed after we took a shower, tucking the blanket around us. Having friends is nice.


	9. Job switch

I wonder who had come up with such a stupid idea. I mean seriously, exchange of our jobs?! Oh wait, it was Akashi-san's idea. OMFG I CALLED HIM STUPID. I'M SO DEAD. Well, at least he didn't notice. "Taiga, I heard that. Unless you don't want to dig your own grave to bury yourself into...." Akashi-san smiled, dark aura gathering around him. Damn, I swear that guy is Satan himself sometimes.... "I heard that too." I'M SORRY! FORGIVE ME. 

Luckily, he did not bring out his pet(scissors). Phew. Apparently, the switch is so that we can, I quote :" Understand more about the jobs of others, and appreciate our own." Geez, as if practicing with Ahomine wasn't bad enough. That lazy dick makes me do all the work while he slacks away. 

Akashi-san made the arrangements. Midorima was going to train me, Akashi-san would be the temporary fortune-teller with Kise as his assistant, Murasakibara doing acrobatics, Tatsu-nii selling tickets, Kuroko and Takao in charge of food, Aomine the magician, and Furihata the ringmaster. I swear, this is one of the most messed up days of my life. 

- _timeskip-_

" Alright, we will start with training, nanodayo." Midorima pushed up his spectacles, hand perfectly bandaged. "Sure, but what is that.... _thing?_ " I asked curiously. " My lucky item for today is a toy frog, nanodayo." Pft, not only did he sound ridiculous, he looked ridiculous holding that thing. I refuse to call it a frog. The darned thing looks creepy as fuck. Sighing, I made my way over to the circuit as Midorima sat down and took out his crystal ball, consulting the 'high and mighty' Oha Asa. "Kagami, you should stop speaking out loud, nanodayo." Crap, I should. 

\- _at the fortune-teller's tent-_

"Heeeeh, the ball is missing?" Kise wondered aloud. 

- _back to training area-_

" KA-GA-MI-CCHI~~!!!" A flying ball of blonde hair barreled towards me, squeezing me tightly. "Oxygen.....breathe....can't..." I gasped. "Ryouta, that is not the way you should greet someone." The dark, ominous voice said softly. Kise loosened his grip. " Sorry Kagami-cchi. It's just, the crystal ball is missing and Akashi-cchi had an idea of where it might be, ssu~!" The energetic yellow-haired male explained. Midorima tensed up, slipping said ball into a waiting Akashi-san's palm. "Oh! And did Kuroko-cchi pass by, perhaps?" Golden eyes shone hopefully. "Sorry, but no." Midorima answered. "Now then, we'll be off." The monochromatic-eyed leader made his way out of the tent, a dog with sad droopy ears(Kise) trailing on his heels. Relieved that it was over, I went back to training, Midorima seeming a tad bit upset.

"Kagami-kun." A voice appeared out of nowhere. " **HOLY SHITFUC-"** I screamed, clutching onto my racing heart. The amused expression on his face just provoked me more. "Whaddya want." I spoke hoarsely, still recovering from the shock. "Takao-kun and I wanted you to try some food samples." The quiet male said, hands laden with food. "Also, Takao-kun was also whining about how he missed looking at his 'Shin-chan'." No wonder. That was their main plan. " Not true, El Ghosto! I'm afraid my darling Shin-chan would miss me too much~" Another voice called from behind my shoulder. OH GOD! I NEVER HEARD HIM COME IN!

"Ghost taught me some skills." The dark-haired boy laughed, tackling Midorima. "Ta-Takao, I said not to do it in public..." A slightly flustered Midorima attempted to push his partner away. " Shin-chaaaaaaaaaan..." He groaned, hugging the taller tightly. Touchy-feely horny bastards. Kuroko noticed the glare I directed at them. "Kagami-kun?" Hearing the questioning tone in his voice, I replied flatly. "What." "Could it be that....you miss Aomine-kun?" A smug smile tugged at his lips. " I-I  _ **WHAT?! "**_ ME?! MISS HIM? HA, YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME. " I DON'T!" I roared, cheeks turning bright pink. "The blush says so otherwise, Kagami-kun." He pestered. "A-As if anyone would miss that Ahomine! In fact, I'm relieved that he's not training me!" I answered back hotly. 

" Aw, and here I thought you had something for me. I'm so heartbroken." A smug voice whispered in my ear. WHY THAT BASTARD. "Aomine-kun, what a pleasant surprise." Sky blue eyes shone with mirth as I wrenched my entire body far away from Aomine. "Tetsu. Came to check on my little tiger here, see if he's behaving." The tanned male said nonchalantly, slinging an arm around my shoulder, which I shrugged off angrily. "Cheh, I bet you came because being a magician is too difficult for your tiny brain to compute." I taunted, watching the annoyance in his eyes that told me I was right. "Nah, just need a couple tips." He stubbornly said. "Besides, who are  _you_ calling ' _your'_ **LITTLE TIGER!"** I growled, frowning deeply. 

" You, so don't get jealous." Aomine replied smugly, planting a chaste kiss on my cheek before darting away, crowing with laughter. His lips were so warm....- WHAT AM I THINKING ABOUT! I snapped out of my trance, seeing Kuroko and Takao's departing figures. " Homo ne, Kagami-kun." KUROKO THAT LITTLE TERROR. I WILL SKIN HIM ALIVE! I'M NOT HOMO FOR AOMINE. I JUST .... ARGH, FORGET IT.

A grumble rumbled from my stomach. "It appears you are hungry. Should we eat now?" Midorima awkwardly asked. Mumbling my response, we dug into the food that we had been provided with, before gagging. Its appearance had looked edible, but the taste..... In unspoken agreement, we dashed to the washroom. "Oh goodness..... I think I'm dying..." I groaned. Making a mental point to never let Kuroko or Takao within 10 metres range of a kitchen appliance, I hurled into the toilet bowl, sides heaving in agony. Midorima wasn't faring much better. His face had turned almost the same colour of his hair, as vomit streamed out of his mouth. Finally done, I washed my mouth with clean water, gurgling before spitting into the sink. From the other cubicle, I heard another retching sound. But.....it couldn't be Midorima. He had already finished, drying his hands and lips after a wash. I peeked into the open cubicle, hoping it wasn't any of the others with their pants down.

A familiar head of purple was covering the seat, sounding like a bear in agony as he vomitted. "Murasakibara?" I asked hesitantly, tapping the broad shoulder. He turned slowly, face pale and sickly. " Takao-chin and Kuro-chin...-" He managed to get a few words out before bending back over the toilet seat and letting out more poisonous gunk. Midorima and I winced. 

Seeing how Murasakibara looked like he was half dead, I took it upon myself to clean him up, Midorima handing me more tissue when I needed it. Damn, Murasakibara was like a man-child. I wonder how Tatsu-nii put up with  him.... " Thanks, Kaga 'Kaa-san." The titan mumbled feebly. I smiled softly at him, helping him up with Midorima's much needed assistance. Like, how many pounds did he weigh? I blame it on his mutant height. My motherly instincts were getting out of hand, damnit. Gotta stop acting like one. Also, Murasakibara had sported a shiner on his forehead. After depositing the 2.09 metre tall Murasakibara on a comfortable seat, we found out the truth. Turns out Murasakibara had tried to do a flip on the swings, and as he had underestimated his height, had bashed his forehead against the rung. Chortling with silent laughter, Midorima and I blinked away tears that were threatening to give away the sudden burst of emotion. Murasakibara glared before lumbering away, leaving us to laugh by ourselves. 

Midorima had come up with the brilliant idea of relating the incident to Tatsu-nii, which I approved wholeheartedly. It's not everyday you get to laugh at something, right? Besides the image of Murasakibara on the swings was already worthy of laughing at. We met a bored Tatsu-nii at his stationed area, legs kicking against the wooden counter. His eyes brightened when he saw us coming. " Taiga! Midorima! You have no idea how boring it is to sit here!" He exclaimed, squeezing the air out of our lungs. Sensing our discomfort, he quickly let go. After a bit of chatting, we turned to our main topic. Howling, Tatsu-nii clutched at his stomach, tears streaming down his cheeks. After a few minutes, he wiped his eyes, still chuckling at the incident. " And also, if Kuroko and Takao come with food, do  **not** eat it. We were the lone survivors of the poisoning." Midorima deadpanned. I had no idea this guy had any sense of humour, and quite a good one at that. Thanking us for the warning, Tatsu-nii waved us off as we went to inform the others.

Furihata was found trembling in the spotlight. "I can do this....I can do this...." He repeated the mantra over and over again as he quaked in fear. He should stop forcing himself to do stuff he doesn't like. It'll just make him worse. Seeing us, he managed to smile shakily. " Wha-what brings y-you two here?" He asked, still shaking like a newborn deer who was trying to stand up. We quickly informed him about the poison that both current stalltenders had cooked up, the poor guy still shivering. After a curt 'good-bye', Midorima informed Akashi-san and Kise. Both agreed not to eat the food. I  _accidentally_ didn't tell Aomine. Serves him right. 

- _moments later-_

 **"BLEUGHHH....."** The sound of a person emptying his stomach's contents reached my ears.  Smiling to myself, I headed towards the others, who had grouped together. When the groans had finally come to an end, a haggard figure dragged himself out of the washroom. Noting the half-dead male, Midorima questioned. "Kagami, didn't you tell Aomine, nanodayo?" "Might have... _slipped my mind."_ I replied smugly. "I see. That's why the food we made was rejected." Takao mused. Akashi-san cringed. I'm pretty sure he had imagined  _himself_ as an unfortunate victim. "Well, I'm sure this taught us all a lesson. No roles will be switched ever again." The ringmaster ended. Silent prayers answered, I turned to face my tentmate. " Now that the day's over, why not we go turn i-" Aomine was glaring at me with a feral expression, navy-blue eyes blazing with anger. "Bakagami....." He growled.

Oh shit.


	10. Falling sick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from Lesagh, thank you~!

"-akagami! BAKAGAMI!  **BAKAGAMI!** " Someone, someone was trying to shake me awake. My eyes opened blearily, cloudy red orbs. Everything was so....blurry.....so unclear... " **OI!"** My vision was obscured by blue, dark blue. The world was spinning... So...dizzy... Then, everything was black.

 _So dark, so....alone._   _I_ _wandered in the pitch darkness, arriving at_ _a_ _laboratory. It was so....similar....so familiar... Split seconds later,_   _I_   _was bound. The leather strapping dug into my bare flesh._   _I_   _twisted madly, trying to break free. Somebody....anybody...save me... "Test subject Kagami Taiga, are you ready for your jab?"That sinister voice....no....NOT AGAIN!!! I DON'T WANT IT!!! DIE, JUST DIE! Sobs wrenched  themselves out of my chest, body straining against the bonds.  I whimpered. Not the medication.... The fire started, licking at the platform. The scientist caught on fire, body burning. " It's alright, Kagami Taiga, I'll get you back..." The flames had eaten my bonds away. I ran and ran, down the long corridor. Around me, the burning pillars fell. I just ran, ran. Charred bodies, being consumed by flames. Run, just keep running. A light. RUN! A final spurt of energy, and I dashed out of the collapsing building, running towards the light._

"KAGAMI-KUN! WAKE UP!" With a start, I jolted awake, sweat running down my body. Then, I winced and fell back onto the pillow. My head....it hurt... My head was throbbing, and my body felt so, so cold. Clammy fingers reaching towards the blanket, I pulled it tightly around myself. "Kagami-san, we think you caught a fever." Furihata informed me worriedly, sweat matting his hair, hazel eyes full of worry. "You scared us, all of us, Taiga." Akashi-san was gently sponging my neck with a cold towel. I flinched from the coolness, but was stopped by strong arms. " 'Kaa-san won't get better if he keeps moving. Stay still." The purple-haired manchild stared down at me, arms caging around me as he pulled me to his chest. Drained of energy, I simply slumped into the heat. I felt so weak...

A spoon nudged against my chapped lips. I raised my head quizzically. Midorima guided the spoon slightly closer. "Porridge. I made it, so you don't have to worry about being poisoned." Damn, he still had that cold humour. I gave him a small smile, accepting the spoonful with my mouth. It was hardly saltish at all, so I guessed he had taken into consideration of my health, before making the porridge. It was a long time since I actually ate porridge, and it tasted.....pretty good. Swallowing down another mouthful, I muttered my thanks. Tatsu-nii dabbed at my bottom lip with tissue, wiping the excess porridge on it away. Blondie was sitting at my bedside with a glass of water, nervously looking at me every few seconds. 

"Relax, guys. It's not like I'm made of glass or anything." I joked weakly. It seemed to break the tension a little, and everyone seemed to be more relieved. I looked around the tent, everyone was here. Except..... "Where's Aomine?" I asked, struggling to sit up. "He went to get medicine for you, Tiger-chan." Takao spoke up, rushing towards me to prop up the pillows behind me so that I could sit up properly. Aomine, get me.....medicine? As if. He'll probably not give a shit about me or something. "I'VE GOT IT." A head of navy dashed towards us. Panting heavily, he took care to set the bottle of fever medication on the bedside table. Seeing that I was up, Aomine grinned slightly.

"And I thought idiots couldn't fall sick." He chuckled, but his voice also sounded worried. "Daiki was the most concerned. After you fainted while he tried to wake you up, he hurried to wake all of us up." The ringmaster said, changing the towel. The thought of Aomine, who had put in effort to make sure I was okay, filled my heart with a warm glow. So warm.... I snuggled closer into Murasakibara's warmth from behind. Takao gave me my medicine, careful not to spill it on the sheets. "Who'll take care of Taiga?" Tatsu-nii asked worriedly. "I'll do it. After all, I'm his tentmate." Shock. That's what I felt. Ahomine had actually  _volunteered_ to take care of me? "It's so unlike you, Aomine-kun." The shadow smiled mysteriously. I wonder what  _that_ was all about.

After chasing the rest out of our tent, Aomine sighed. "Guess it's just you and me, huh." He gave me a lopsided grin. Relaxing into the soft feather mattress, I smiled back. "Just you and me." "Get sleep, baka." The bluenette stroked my hair, settling down beside me. I shifted over to make space for him, my back aligned to his broad chest. Tanned hands smoothed against my stomach, radiating heat. All I felt was: warmth. Hot, delicious warmth, as I fell into deep slumber.


	11. Halloween

 So, Akashi-san said that we'll have a party to celebrate Halloween! Isn't that great?! It's gonna be my first time celebrating something since....my childhood.... NEVER MIND. I wonder what the party will be like, probably fun? Oh well, he  _did_ tell us to dress up in costumes. Guess that's part of his arrangements then, better get to it before the scissors are unleashed again! 

Apparently, all of us will be separated, and we'll have to locate and identify each other before going treat and treating, followed by our party. Makes sense that we had separate changing rooms and were going to be dropped off at different parts of Layfoben, a town we were currently in. I wonder what I'll be wearing....and the others as well... Ah well, guess I'll find out soon enough! Now, off to the changing room I go. 

- _few minutes later-_

Is this a joke? Tell me it is. Please. I beg you. I AM NOT ONLY WEARING THIS STRIP OF CLOTH, AM I!? Well, if you want an idea of this disgusting piece of clothing, here is the discription. A bloody-red top, black booty shorts complete with a small devil's tail, dark leggings and heeled boots. Not only that, a pair of black devil horns sit atop my head, cleverly partially concealed by my hair. The worst is the studded collar, with its chain, secured around my neck. JUST HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO WALK AROUND LIKE THIS? THAT AKASHI, I WILL GET MY REVENGE. or.....maybe not. I mean, seriously, for a midget, he is scary as fuck. 

Ugh, I hope no one recognizes me.... Its going to be so humiliatin- "Kagami-san?" I froze in my tracks, trembling while turning back. "Fu-Fu-Furihata... H-Hey..." I stuttered, trying to use the thin tail to cover up as much skin as possible. Unfortunately, not a lot. Furihata was wearing a tan-coloured fur coat, denim jeans with a shaggy tail attached, wolf ears hidden in mousey hair, and a pair of fake fangs. "Uh, werewolf?" I questioned, taking in the tail and ears. "Yep! Its not half-bad, right?" He replied cheerfully, walking slightly ahead of me. Phew....he didn't see my outfit then? I followed behind. "By the way, that looks nice on you, Kagami-san." He added, laughing as he escaped from my grasp, as I spluttered in embarrassment, chasing him from behind. "YOU LITTLE PUNK! I WILL SEND YOU TO THE-OOF!"I collided into someone, toppling him over.

"Ugh...." The person rubbed his hip gingerly, groaning softly. "Midorima, is that you?" I looked at the green-haired doctor, wearing a bloodied labcoat. He looked just like a doctor, except for......the little cat ears he wore.... AHAHAHAHAHAHA OMFG HE LOOKS HILARIOUS. "Tch, how immature, nanodayo." He said, adjusting his crooked spectacles before getting back on his feet. Furihata helped him up, while dusting away specks of dirt on the coat. Well, my luck sucks. 

All that might make it worse is..." **KAGAMICCHI? IT'S KAGAMICCHI, RIGHT?!"** A Dracula landed on me, squealing happily. MY BLOOD, NOOOO- Oh wait....this voice..."Kise?" I stared up at him, astonished that I couldn't recognise him at first. He was wearing plastic fangs, and his hair had been gelled back slightly. He wore a huge cloak that covered up most of himself, and donned a monocle. "That's right! Oh, you've found Furihatacchi and Midorimacchi!" Kise screams, tackling them. I laughed silently, slowly getting back onto my feet. "Kagami-kun." " **OH GODDAMNIT!"** I jumped ten feet up into the air, while screeching. OH MY HOLY GOODNESS. THAT WAS SO TERRIFYING. I slowly turned my head. A white sheet, with two blank eye sockets stared back at me. "GYAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" I yelped, darting up a tree. Once I deemed myself safe, I looked down. The three were staring at me with a puzzled expression on their face. Then I felt something drag my down from the limb I was clutching to. "Seriously, Kagami-kun. Is it that scary?" The sheet spoke. 

Once I reached the ground, I finally realised who it had been. "KUROKO, YOU SCARED THE SHIT OUTTA ME." I yelled, tears making my vision blurry. With a sigh, Kuroko took off the sheet. He was wearing a white tux, trails of fabric wisping around, face painted a ghostly pale colour. WHY DID EVERYONE ELSE'S COSTUMES LOOK BETTER THAN MINE? Damn Akashi, I will- "You will? What will you do, Taiga." GAHHHHHH! SEE WHAT I SAID ABOUT MY LUCK?! "Akashi-san. I was saying that I will thank you for the wonderful outfit I received." I smiled fakely, crying internally. WHY WAS LIFE SO CRUELLLLLLLL... Akashi-san was wearing a yukata, red fading to black. In one hand, he balanced a Samurai sword, white headband tied firmly around his head. He glanced at me with a cold smile, before linking his arm with the brunette. Kise had latched onto Kuroko, babbling about how adorable his attire looked, while the sky-blue haired male simply walked on. Midorima had somehow managed to find Takao. I HAD NO IDEA HE WAS ALSO THERE! "I was in the sheet too~" The black-haired joker chortled, clutching onto his stomach. He was wearing a mask that concealed half of his face, and he wore a black and white chequered suit, complete with tailcoats. He wore a silk-rimmed top hat, a ribbon of dark red being the only decoration on it. No wonder I couldn't see him that clearly in the dark. 

Walking was tiring. Our small group of seven trekked through the forest paths, leaves crackling under our feet. An owl hooted, gliding silently through the setting sky. It was getting dark. And we were in a forest. I think we were also lost, judging from the confused glances from the rest, as we continued forward. A shuriken flew past my ear with a hiss, lodging itself firmly into the tree trunk behind me. Gee, didn't _this_ bring back memories.  _Oh, I don't know, maybe like how **SOMEONE** HAD DECIDED TO TEST MY WONDERFUL REFLEXES WHEN I JOINED THE CIRCUS. Don't know who? Let me give you a hint. Red haired midget, scissors never leaving his side, dual eye colours. Still don't know? Congratulations, you are officially more idiotic than Kagami Taiga. _ On with the story. Akashi-san dislodged the throwing star out from the bark. With his scissors. WTF?! DOES HE CARRY THAT SHIT EVERYWHERE HE GOES? Takao glanced up, chuckling slightly. "Himuro, I see you. Come down and join us poor circus folk." Tatsu-nii? I looked around. But there's.... Nobody?

A shadowy figure melted out of the long shadows of the tree. "Finally! You have no idea how long I've been waiting here!" The shadow exclaims, pulling off the headdress. Although slightly red, his features were still there. Violet eyes glinted with humour, as he retrieved the metal from Akashi-san. Tatsu-nii was donned entirely in black, smooth fabric moulding into the lean muscled body. A cleverly-concealed pouch was hidden in the folds of his clothing, the clinking of metal revealing that he had more weapons. Twirling his black mask, Tatsu-nii laughed. "What are you all waiting for? Let's get outta here." Leading the way out of the forest, as the sky darkens slightly more. Turns out he had carved signs into the wood so he could find his way out, with help from his dagger. Well, that's another weapon I had found out about. A dagger, shuriken, what's more? Eight down, two to go.

Finding Murasakibara was easy. Want to take a guess? No? Easy. We followed the trail of sweet wrappers. Now, wasn't that simple? I wonder how we never found him earlier. Then, we found him. Remember what I said about my suckish costume? I take it back. Murasakibara's was by far the worst. Let me give you the mental image. Tall guy, purple hair and eyes. Not bad? Think again. A one-piece full-body indigo suit. A hole in it for his face. A triangular-shaped antenna awkward standing on top of his head. Want more? Now picture this creepy thing attempting to rip open a bag of potato chips. Now you get it? Good job. A single second to take in the picture, and the next few minutes snorting our lungs out. All the purple-haired male did was to ask Akashi-san to cut open his treat. Which he did, although the jagged cutting of the plastic showed that he was currently emotionally unstable. After a long period of time, Kise finally managed to squeak out a sentence. "Wha-what is that?!" He managed to sputter out before he guffawed loudly, tears spilling down his cheeks. "Eh, this? I'm a Teletubbie, can't you tell?" Murasakibara said, successfully grabbing a handful of chips with his covered fingers, putting them into his mouth. The laughter started up yet again, this time, even louder and harder. After we regained our composure,  albeit a few snickering here and there, we continued our search. One left.

It was already dark, the streetlamps illuminating the cobblestone path. Aomine still hadn't been found. Just  _where_ as that guy? Not that I'm worried or anything. Really, I'm not. .....okay, maybe a little. In the distance, a wolf howled its sorrow to the full moon. Damn, that sent shivers up my back... The others were ahead of me, as I trailed slightly behind them. Fingertips ghosted along the back of my arm, stroking the sensitive skin. "Ku-Kuroko, that's not funny, c-c-cut it out..." I said nervously, voice slightly high-pitched. "Kagami-kun. It's not me." Kuroko answered, turning back to look at me. Wait, then if Kuroko is in front of me.....then.... I turned my body slowly, managing to get a glimpse of a figure ducking noiselessly into an alley. I followed it, eyes wide open with fear, into the dark alleyway. Rotting crates were stacked on top of each other. The figure continued further, down the winding paths until I reached a dead end. There was nothing. Behind me, something whispered my name, into my ear. "Taiga....." Cool wind tickled the back of my neck, as I yelped, kicking my intruder in the....balls. "THE FUCK?! DID YOU HAVE TO KICK ME?" The cussing continued, as he cradled his junk in his hands, wincing at the pain. "YOU DAMN AHOMINE! YOU CALLED FOR IT!!!" I growled, smoothening the creases on my shorts. The asshole was wearing a fur-collared vest, tight black fabric covering portions of his skin. His leather pants looked....very tight. Dark feathered wings grew from the back of the vest, moving slightly as he groaned in agony. 

Guess he didn't look half bad. If he wore a lip ring though... NO MORE OF THESE THOUGHTS, TAIGA. BAD TAIGA. "Kagami-kun? Are you alright?" The ghost materialized out of nowhere. First time I was glad to see him. With his help, we managed to drag Aomine back to the group. But not after letting him suffer a little more. Then, the lot of us went trick-or-treating. It was fun, I guess. The people were nice, making sure to fill up our bags nice and full. I made Aomine carry my three sacks of candy. I mean, Aomine  _kindly offered_ to carry my sacks of treats. Being such I nice person, surely I couldn't refuse his good intentions? We reached the last house. Scraggly ivy wound around rusty gates, dead weeds flourishing in the ill-kept garden. The Victorian house loomed over us, tall and threatening. 

A few of the windows were shattered, glass shards littering the yard, as we pushed the gates open. The gate wailed, ear-piecing screech reaching our ears. Ouch. We continued on our way, avoiding gravestones and statues. Kuroko, being in front, touched the brass knocker. The door flew open with a huge gust of wind, revealing the skeleton dangling from a noose. OH SHIT! I ran, ran faster. I could hear the others behind me. We stumbled blindly in the moonlight, tripping over headstones and the like, as we burst out of the property, running all the way back to the tents, which was a short distance away from town. Heck, I'm never going back there again.

In the tents, we had an after Halloween party. Packs of beer were steadily consumed, the candy eaten(mostly by Murasakibara). We also played a few games of truth or dare, which was pretty interesting. Tatsu-nii, as I expected, held his liquor well. All were quite heavy drinkers actually, so I could tell that they had done this a few times already.  For me, 3 beers and I was out like a light. I awoke the next morning with a splitting headache, and a tanned hand up my ass. Guess who woke up with a slap mark on his face? Aomine. Bingo.


	12. The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's gonna be a little angst, forgive me ; _ ;

Although my family(yes, they are my family now) take good care of me, I always wondered about their past lives. Like, how did the circus come about? Why did they join? These sorta things. "Hey, Takao. You know anything about the history of the circus?" I asked the raven-haired man as he passed by. He halted, thinking expression on his face. "Well, you'll have to ask the Emperor. After all,  _he_ was the one who took all of us in." Takao replied, before continuing his way, whistling a random tune. Akashi-san? I mean, I had expected it, him being the ringmaster and all, but I guess it's a bit shocking. Well, I'll have to ask him at dinner. Damn, I hate full schedules....

- _a tiring 3 hours later-_

 "Akashi-san, would you mind if I asked you a question?" I asked, eyes focusing on the pattern of the table cloth. Looking up, I saw the surprise on his face. "Go on, Taiga." He responded calmly, the moment of surprise concealed. "How did the circus come about?" Fidgeting nervously, I looked straight into his eyes. Trust me, it was frightening. Extremely frightening. Everyone fell silent, wondering how to approach the topic. After a few seconds of silence, Tatsu-nii cleared his throat. "Since I'm the first member, I should explain my story first." He said, smiling warmly at me. "Well, Taiga. It began when I was around your age...."

  _-Himuro's story-_

_At the age of fifteen, I was already a trained assassin. I specialized in use of weaponry, and speed of learning. I was hired by many, although most could never afford to pay up. They paid with their lives. It soon became boring, as I did the same thing day after day. Kill, collect pay, kill, collect. For a long time, I lived this kind of life. One day, I received an anonymous request to kill the heir of the Seijurou family. I had heard of this prestigious family, whose security was airtight. With this challenge, I accepted it. The second I stepped in, however, I was greeted by a young boy with shocking red hair. He was the one who had sent the request. To kill himself. Intrigued by this, I didn't kill him. Instead, I joined a circus that he had created._

"And that, was my first meeting with Akashi, and my past." He ended, laughing softly. Tatsu-nii used to be a killer?! This was impossible! He's so nice to me! "I'm next."Midorima announced politely, adjusting his spectacles. "Oh, uh, okay." I said, still partly in a daze. "Well, mine isn't that interesting...."

_-Midorima's story-_

_Everyone in my family was in the medical field. Every since I was a child, I had been taught the science of medicine. In my school, private of course, I was the top medical student. My parents looked down on others, and I could not make friends by myself. They would choose and select my friends for me. These 'friends' were often children of their colleagues, and of high social status. I disliked it, but what could I say? I was a mere child in my parents eyes. The day I found out about Oha Asa changed my life. I began to believe in fate, miracles. I believed a miracle would happen to me, change my destiny. It happened. My parents introduced to me my new 'friend' , Akashi Seijurou. He had an intimidating aura around him. When he invited me to join his circus, I could not refuse the offer of freedom._

"Now, I'm a fortune-teller. Of course, I still have my medical knowledge." He stated, taking a bite of his meal. Woah, he could have been a famous doctor! Well, it's not that surprising, considering how he sometimes speaks as if he is reading form a dictionary. He probably had encyclopedias as his bedtime stories. Poor kid. " I COME IN AROUND HERE~" Takao waved his arms around excitedly, nearly knocking over Midorima's plate. The green-haired male shot him a glare, protecting his plate of food." Sorry, Shin-chan~ Anyways, my story~"

_-Takao's story-_

_I started selling drugs when I was thirteen. Not the heavy ones, of course. Just some which were a bit illegal. It was easy for me, with my quick wit. I avoided getting caught by authorities by thinking ahead, and slinking out of their grasps. I usually sold cigarettes, adding a little 'extra' into them. You know, to get high and stuff. The older I grew, the more careless I was. I had the mindset that I'd never get caught. However, I still took my precautions. One day, in an alleyway, a policeman almost caught me. My saviour was a beautiful enigma with hair and eyes of forest green. His skin was a delicate and pale, a frown etched on his face. If anything, it made him all the more attractive. After following him, I arrived at a circus. So, this was where my beauty took residence. The ringmaster agreed to my terms, to be as close to this enchanting male as possible. Seems he was short on hands._

"And that was how I joined the circus~" Takao ended, planting a kiss on a blushing Midorima's cheek. "T-Takao!" Midorima stuttered, pushing the raven away. "But Shin-channnnnnn, its true." He whined, throwing his arms around the green tsundere. This clingy guy, a drug dealer? NO HELL WAY! ITS IMPOSSIBLE? " My turn, Kagami-kun." Quiet Kuroko spoke, as Takao continued pampering Midorima. 

_-Kuroko's story-_

_Kuroko Tetsuya, son of Kei Tetsuya and Momori Sakuya. Father passed away when I was young, leaving Mother and I to fend for ourselves. The villagers believed that we caused the death of Father, that Mother had used sorcery to trick Father into marrying her. After Father's death, they made rumours that Mother was a witch. As I had a unique ability, lack of presence, this led them to believe that their rumours were true. They captured Mother, and burned her at a stake. They forced me to watch. A young boy of five, forced to watch his mother being sacrificed for the 'greater good'. After that, they released me, banishing me from the village. I grew up in the forest, living on the prey I hunted down, and fruits and plants. One day, a tent appeared nearby. Curious, I went in, drawn in by the smell of food. A kind man gave me snacks, and took me to see a man with the hair of scarlet. I stared back at him, eyes emotionless. He was slightly surprised, and received me, giving me a new life._

"That is my story." He ended off solemnly, silent tears sliding down his face. Kise hugged him tightly, wiping his eyes with tissue. "It's okay, Kurokocchi, we're here~" He cooed. "Well, my story is not traumatic, ssu." The blond male started, petting the sky blue-haired shadow.

_-Kise's story-_

_I am a model. Yes, it started since I was ten. I had been scouted, before they decided I fit the bill. Natural good looks, sparkling personality, charm. All these I possessed. Kise Ryouta, loved by all, hated by all. People were jealous. These were other models, those who wanted to be like me, wanted to bring me down. They eventually did, creating gossip that I used ties to get into the fashion world, and that I had bribed people to make me famous. My fame disappeared overnight. I was vengeful. I wanted to stay in the spotlight, to capture people's attention and bend them to my will. I got it in the form of a circus, who were travelling in town. The leader offered me a postion as an acrobat. My life of gold, came back to me. But, this time was different. No one would take me from my place, no one will stand in my way. I'll swing above them, leaving them to grovel on the ground._

"That, is the return of Kise Ryouta!" He finished off with a cheer. Wait, this dude used to be a model? Whoa, he must have got all the money... Sad life though, being dragged down from his position..... "I-I am next." Soft-spoken Furihata said, as everyone quietened down to hear the soft words.

_-Furihata's story-_

_I was normal. My father was a carpenter, mother a seamstress, sister following in my mother's footsteps. They had something they were good at. All accept for me. I had no skills, no abilities. Everything I did was.....well, normal. In fact, I was so normal, people never actually knew about me. Even my parents. To them, I was the useless son. They berated me. How was it that, even my sister, was good at something, but I was completely useless? To them, I was something that took up space, had to waste their money on. They put on a facade in front of people, saying how they loved me regardless of my lack of skill. I loved my parents, and did not want to be a burden to them. I left my home, carrying little food supplies to feed myself. However, I couldn't do anything. Nobody employed me. Hungry and tired, I slept. Next morning, I woke up in a bed. Stripes decorated the room I was in....no....tent....I was in a tent. A person with dual-coloured eyes was by my bedside, giving me water and food. He employed me, giving me the task of collecting tickets. I was determined to do this job well._

" That's mine..." The mousy-haired male scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. I sniffled, wiping away tears that had gathered up in my eyes. For the sake of his family, he had left them. He was really strong.... "Keh, getting so emotional over something like that." Aomine jeered, shoving food down his throat. HEARTLESS BASTARD, HOW CAN HE BE SO UNFEELING? "Mph stoffphs mmxt." He said, mouth full. " Mine-chin disgusting." Murasakibara looked at him in disgust, while reaching to get more candy in the bowl. The bluenette finished the food in his mouth, before speaking again. "I meant, my story's next." He spoke proudly, stabbing his fork into the salad.

_-Aomine's story- (Which I am sure no one cares about)_

_Grew up with an abusive dad. He used me as a punching bag, to vent his anger on.To protect me, Mum always got hurt. I was smaller than him, and weak. Seeing Mum get hit always hurt me. Dad should be protecting Mum, shouldn't he? As the years progressed, he grew more unstable. He began cutting Mum, throwning beer bottles at her. I was fourteen. I had grown taller, stronger. I could defeat my dad. With a broken bottle, I went at him. Blood stained my hands. Dad went down, collapsing near Mum, who was severely injured. "Dai.....ki...run..." Mum whispered, smiling at me for the last time, stroking Dad's face. Even after abuse, she still loved him. I took her advice, and escaped from the scene. I was a killer. I had killed my dad, and the guilt would follow me wherever I went. I hid from the police, living in slums and alleys. One day, while I was running from an official, I ducked into a tent. It was airy, and I decided to hide out in there for a few days. I was found by one of the members, a male with brown hair. He brought me to a short guy, who snobbishly accepted me in to work as one of them._

"My life choices...." He sighed pathetically, spooning rice into his mouth. Gleaming scissors flew past his ear, snipping off a lock of hair. "Daiki, did you call a  _certain someone_ short?" The redhead questioned, smiling menacingly at him. Terrified blue eyes eyed the scissors. Lol, Aho just realized the mistake he made. "I made a mistake there! I, uh, meant very nice dude invited me to join. Yeah! And he was r-really tall...." Frightened, he laughed nervously. Pleased with his response, the scissors were withdrawn. "My turnnnnnnn." The purple-haired titan drew out, chomping on his dessert. 

_-Murasakibara's story-_

_Ehhhhhhhhh, my life is okay. I was just boreddddd. I eat sweet stuff everydayyyyyy. Yeah.One day I passed by a circus tent. The colours reminded me of Swede Fishes. Red, white, red , white. I was hungry, so I went in. Everything was nice enough, the snacks were yummyyyyyyy. I joined for the snacks~_

" Eh, doneeeeeee." Murasakibara said. We looked at him. Seriously, that was about the most stupid story I had ever heard of. Even his Teletubbie costume couldn't compare to it. Well, maybe. It'll be a reaaaaaaaally close draw. "I'm last to tell my story, but as you could tell, I was the one who created it." Akashi-san cleared his throat, scissors by his side.

_-Akashi's story-_

_My name is Seijuurou, Akashi Seijuurou. I am the heir of the Seijuurou family. My father was a well-known businessman, teaching me strategies to conquer the business world. All he taught, I learnt and executed out perfectly, the perfect son. Soon, I became obsessed with winning. My father was no longer necessary for me to succeed. "I'll make people learn their place."One of my red eyes turned gold, and I looked at the world with my new pair of eyes. One gold, one ruby, I was to be the emperor. My business flourished, as other companies went bankrupt, including my father's own. Kneel. With my ability of Ankle Break, they did. I towered over them, eyes not even glancing at them. "Thus by witnessing my glorious form, you should realize... that your defeat is absolute."  Soon, it was no longer that desirable. I left the business industry, taking my unlimited supply of money. I set up a circus as a whim. I employed a stallholder first, then a fortune-teller and assistant. They were soon followed by a magician, acrobat, ticketing seller, animal-tamer, and an assistant for the stallholder. In a short span of 2 months, it was all ready. Yet again, I had proved that I was absolute. Then, a bloody tiger-human hybrid showed up at my doorstep..._

"Taiga, I believe this is where your story starts." The ringmaster ended primly. Ah yes, my story. I was supposed to tell it too? But.....it's still a bit traumatizing for me... "Taiga, it's okay if you don't want to say." Tatsu-nii spoke softly, patting my shivering body. I sat up, straightening my back. No, that was the past. I was alright now. They deserve to know the truth. "Well then, here it goes...."

_-my story-_

_When I was three, I was selected by a group of scientists to be experimented on. At first, they were nice, doing simple questions about me. They gave me nice food, and treated me like I was their precious child. Then, the experiments began. The scientists injected 'medicine' into my body. They said it won't hurt me. They said they'll take care of me. They lied. It hurt. The food I consumed was drugged, so that I would sleep immediately after meals and not wake up until hours later. I usually woke up feeling weak and groggy. The aftereffects of the drugs. My life began to be full of pain and misery. Sometimes, I wondered why I was even still alive. I was strapped to a sanitised platform, leather strips binding me to cold metal. Each torturous day passed, and I gradually lost hope. Then, there was the fire. It had started out with a unstubbed cigarette that had dropped into a flammable substance. The lab caught on fire, going up in flames. I seized the opportunity to run,to escape. "Its alright, Kagami Taiga.... I'll get you back..." Professor Kentarou advanced on me, labcoat burning. I kicked him in the leg, before running down the burning hallway. Pillars fell and collapsed. I barely managed to get out before the entire structure was done. The last thing I saw, was the glowing remains of the lab, bathed in flames of orange and  yellow._

"When I woke up, I saw you guys. I'm glad I met all of you." I grinned, glad that I had told them about my childhood. What met my eyes surprised me. Everyone was tearing up, even Aomine and Akashi-san. Unbelievable. "H-hey, what's wrong?" I asked sheepishly, scratching the back of my neck. Of one accord, I was buried under a pile of heavy bodies. Except for Akashi-san and Midorima. Yeah, they're too dignified to do that. They hugged me(Midorima) or patted me on the shoulder(Akashi) though. I was happy. This was where I belonged. And I'll never leave.


	13. Basketball

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by Saemoon~

We're going to take a break from performing, something about enjoying ourselves or something that Akashi-san said. FINALLY. I wonder what we'll be doing though... Hopefully it'll be fun.

- _timeskip-_

"Alright, we'll be playing basketball today. Two teams. Kazunari, Taiga, Tetsuya, Atsushi, Kouki. Ryouta, Shintarou, Me, Tatsuya, Daiki. First 5 baskets wins." The emperor said, balancing an orange ball on his fingertips. BASKETBALL. YUS. BRING IT ON, I'LL OWN THE COURT. "Kagamicchi, you know how to play basketball?" The confused model asked, walking to his team. "Yeah! I used to play as a kid......when....." Flashes of the burning lab and madmen came to me, as I blinked back tears. "OMG KAGAMICCHI, I DIDN'T MEAN TO- I'M SO SORRY!" Kise dabbed at my tears with tissue, frantically trying to calm me down. My memories of my love for basketball won over, and I was hyped up again. Dayumn, how long was it since I touched it, felt the grooves on the surface of my palm? Too long, just too long. "Let's get this started!"

"Jump ball!" The ball was tossed into the air. A large hand swatted at it, passing it to Furihata. "Jumper violation! Murasakibara!" Midorima called out. "Atsushi, be more careful next time." Tatsu-nii chided the purple-haired titan gently, patting him on the shoulder. "Got it, Muro-chin." Murasakibara mumbled. "Oi! He's not on our team!" Aomine yelled from the other side of the court, spinning the ball on his index finger. Wait, when did he get the ball?! " You snooze, you lose, dumbass." He sneered, passing me, dribbling the basketball and scoring. Grrrr..... The others seemed pretty calm with him scoring. Guess they all have a trump card. Well, can't say I don't have one. I might use it later, if need be. 

Takao got the ball, passing it to Midorima, who caught it easily. He shot the ball at an extremely high angle, from the end of the court. It sailed in the air, steadily heading towards the basket. Won't make it for sure, too far. Or so I thought. "My shot will not miss." The green-haired guy said, straightening his spectacles. The ball fell in the dead center of the hoop, not even touching the rim. WAIT, WHAT? HE HAD MADE IT!? "Takao-kun, I know you always play on the same team with Midorima-kun, but he is not your partner now." Kuroko spoke silently. "Ahahaha, my bad, my bad~" The raven laughed it off, thumping Kuroko on the back. 

Deciding to settle things, I grabbed the ball. Time to make a difference. I dribbled, dodging the other's attacks, before launching myself into the air. Aomine and Tatsu-nii had jumped to block me. I grinned, as I saw the surprised looks on their faces as their feet made contact with the ground before mine did. I slammed the basketball in, hanging onto the hoop for a few seconds before letting go. I turned around to meet their astonished faces. "Yo-you flew...." Aomine gawked at me, eyes wide open in surprise. " I knew it, Kagami-kun is an angel." Kuroko spoke matter-of-factly, as if he had known all along. "H-hey! What's with all this angel shit-" "You. Are. An. Angel." Sky blue eyes bore into mine. OH DAMMNIT, THAT DUDE IS SCARY. "O-okay!" I screamed  ~~like a girl.~~ Way smooth, Taiga. Waaaaaaaaay smooth. So manly. 

"Don't get too happy yet. I am absolute." Akashi-san stared at me with his creepy red and gold eyes. Before I knew it, my legs had collapsed beneath me. "Know your place." His shadow loomed above me, as he took the ball. Duuuuuude. Way scary. Waaaaaaaaay. I shivered, getting up. My ankle still hurt a little. "Ankle break. One of Akashi-san's skills." Furihata explained. I winced, rubbing slightly on the sore spot until the muscles relaxed. The redhead was already heading towards the basket. 

Ah, Takao and Murasakibara are blocking the basket, it should be fin- **OH GOD, AKASHI. STOP DOING THAT.** The shot went in cleanly. "And thus, by witnessing my glorious form, you should realise-" He was cut off. "That your defeat is absolute." Everyone ended off for Akashi-san with a sarcastic and joking tone. LOL, HIS FACE. The emperor had a pissed, yet slightly amused expression on his face. Well, this was a dilemma. YES, I USED THE WORD 'DILEMMA'. I HAVE QUITE A WIDE RANGE OF VOCAB, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Anyways, we were going to lose.The score was 3-1 baskets. 

Furihata took the ball next. He had seemed really nervous at first, but he was actually quite good at basketball. He managed to make a basket, although the ball nearly didn't go in. It circled the ring a total of 3 times before it dropped in. Damn, there was so much tension in the air. Thank goodness he made it. Thank goodness. Phew, 3-2. Not that bad, we might actually be able to do this! Tatsu-nii retrieved the ball as it fell from the basket, test-dribbling it a few times. Then, his eyes sharpened as he quickly darted towards the net, ball hitting the pavement. Then, the ball suddenly fell out of his hands, curving towards Takao. However, it was stolen by Midorima. The green-haired three pointer passed towards Akashi-san. WAIT A SECOND. IT CURVED AGAIN?! Kuroko appeared out of nowhere, ball in his hand. He dribbled down the court, sweat running down his face. Aomine, with his creepy speed, had reached Kuroko. Then, Kuroko disappeared again! OH MY GOD. HE'S THE INVISIBLE MAN OR SOMETHING. He reappeared near the basket, shooting the basketball. Midorima tried to block it, but the ball vanished into thin air! OH MY FREAKING GOD. Next thing I knew it, the orange ball was through the hoop. .... I am very shocked. This is unbelievable. I refuse to believe in disappearing people and balls. .....well, maybe not people. Kuroko is an example of such.

Anyways, now the score is 3-3! We have a great chance of winning now. Ha, Akashi's emperor eye won't stop us! Kise claimed the ball, golden eyes shining. He dodged left and right, before slamming the basketball in. Wait.....I recognize those moves.... Aren't they mine? Just that he didn't jump as high or far. Other than that, they are identical! "Perfect copy, ssu!" The blonde male winked, turning back to his team. 4-3.....ugh, we'll have to make a basket before they do. And fast. 

"Kaa-san, let me handle this." Murasakibara said nonchalantly, chewing on a cuttlefish roll. Don't even ask me how he got it. I have no idea either. He tied up his hair with a rubber band, hands holding the ball. Like a flash, he had covered the entire distance of the court in a few steps. And I thought larger people were slower. So much for that! He was large and agile, and his wingspan was insane! He dunked the basketball in, even knocking Aomine down with the impact! Woah, that's kinda scary.... A dark purplish aura had surrounded him. He turned around. "Now can I have more cuttlefish rolls?" He asked, tugging on his small purple ponytail. .....scary or not, he was still mentally a child. Guess that won't change about him. Well, 4-4. The next basket will determine the winning team..... 

- _ten minutes later-_

Ah, it was a great game. Oh wait, I forgot to tell you guys who won. Oops. My bad.

_-Last basket-_

_Since Murasakibara had scored, the other team took possession of the ball. To be exact, Tatsu-nii took the ball. He breathed deeply a few times, then started towards the end court. He faked left, then went for right. Kuroko had been waiting there silently, and went to slap the ball from his hands. Then Tatsu-nii spun, successfully dodging him. Nii-san took a shot, which I blocked. But it wasn't there! The ball brushed past my fingertips, making the basket. Mirage shot, it was called.5-4. Akashi-san's team had won._

There you go. So we had lost. But so what? What is important is that it was fun playing with such strong opponents, and that we all enjoyed ourselves, no? Well, next time, I'll definitely beat them. Especially that damned Ahomine, who rubbed in my face that we had lost! Well, I'll show him next time. Just you wait and see. One day, I'll be the one to wipe the court with your sorry ass, Ahomine!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mirage shot: Ball is shot twice. Before the ball reaches the maximum point he throws it above,  
> then he grabs it and throws it again. The first "ball" is a shadow to hide the real shot.


	14. Basketball (The Zone)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Midorima, so I shall make him enter the Zone too :D
> 
> Also, this prompt is from Saemoon~ Sorry I took so long to update >_

Apparently, there's something called the 'Zone'. Like, what the heck? It sounds pretty lame, shouldn't it sound....y'know, cooler? I can't believe I'm saying this...but...this is lamer than Kuroko's "I am a shadow" quote. Like seriously, "I am a shadow" ?! Way to go, Kuroko. Who would've thought such a seemingly intelligent person could come up with such a.....thing. "I see your vocabulary is as brilliant as ever, Kagami-kun." **MOTHER OF ALL THINGS UNHOLY, HOW DID HE-** "Misdirection. You should really stop thinking out loud." Kay, he heard me, I'm probably done for. I'm going to die a horrible death. I will miss everyone dearly. Except for Aomine. Yep.

- _a few minutes later-_

I HAVE SURVIVED. Anyways, there's going to be another basketball match with the rainbow squad. Yay. The last time I played, their hair nearly blinded me. I'm serious. Take about, literally ALL THE COLOURS OF THE FREAKIN' RAINBOW AND SEE IF YOU DON'T GET VISION IMPAIRMENT AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF THAT IN THE SUN. If you don't, you're probably not human. Like them. God, their skills are inhuman too. About as inhuman as Murasakibara's height. And  _that_ is the definition of inhumanly tall. Heck, I look short beside him. That is not funny, I can hear you laughing. Stop that. It's not that great standing next to a giant. STAPH.

Great, I hear no more laughter, shall we continue? Kay, so, basketball game. Hope it'll be fun! Well, gotta go change up now. 

_-few minutes later-_

"Oi, Bakagami. Taking such a long time to change, are you a woman?" The navy-blue haired asshole sneered. That's pure insulting! Well, the others were there, except... "Kagami-kun, I've been here the whole while."  **OH GOODNESS.** Yes, I screamed. Who wouldn't? That guy is creepy, I swear to god. "Taiga, if you're done -ahem- with your high-pitched screaming, I believe we should start." Akashi-san voiced out, Furihata shaking like a leaf beside him. For once, I actually think he was shaking with laughter, and not fear. How mean, everyone has ganged up on me. No, that definitely wasn't me sniffling away. I wasn't crying. Definitely not. Tigers don't cry. "It's okay to cry, Little Bro." Tatsu-nii smiled warmly, patting my shoulder. Only Brother knows me the best.... Murasakibara, just stuffing his face as per usual. Kise was being his annoying model self, whining about how "Kurokocchi disappeared again~" and sobbing grossly into a tissue. I really pity that piece of tissue paper, to be honest. Takao is just helping his Shin-chan rewrap his medical tape. Seriously, Midorima is the only person on earth who will tape up his fingers. Apparently he never heard of blood circulation being cut off by bandages. So much for him being a doctor.

Anyways, with everyone present, Akashi-san began to split us up into teams, making sure he had Furihata on his team this time. Wow, this emperor is making use of his authority for personal gains. This time, Midorima, Takao, Murasakibara, Tatsu-nii and Kise were in the same team. Which left Akashi-san, Furihata, Kuroko, me, and Aomine to be in the same team. Oh, isn't that  _just great_? I get to-" Play in  **the** greatest, best, most awesome Aomine Daiki's team, who, if I might add, is way better than me." The blue-headed asshole cut me off, continuing my words in a sing-song voice. **WHAT!?** Hah,  _him_ great? Please, burgers are way better than him. Oh well, at least there's basketball today. If Ahomine knows better, he won't try to drag me down.

- _timeskip-_

Ah.....it's really hot today. Darn, I can feel the sweat rolling off me. Heck, Kuroko looks like he's going to die in a few seconds. "Thanks, Kagami-kun. I needed that." Kuroko gratefully received my water bottle(filled with cold water, because I expected the weather to be hot) and took a long gulp. Well, it'll probably keep him alive for a little longer. "Oi, why do you never share water with me, Baka!?" The whiny mosquito decided to grumble. "That's because you'll finish up my water! Please, Aho, I'm not stupid." I replied. "So said the Baka." Ahomine taunted. " **WHY YOU-"** "Kagami, Aomine. Stop flirting already." Midorima coughed, pushing up his spectacles. "Awwww~ Is Shin-chan jealous~? It's okay, Shin-chan, I'll flirt with youuu!~" Takao tackled the green-haired man, as 'Shin-chan" desperately tried(No, he didn't even try) to fight off the advances. Furihata stood to a corner, probably laughing his ass off. Kise just cried about how his skin would get sunburnt, until Tatsu-nii handed him a spare bottle of sunscreen. Yes, I believe Tatsu-nii takes good care of his complexion.

Then, Akashi-san did the scary snipping thing with his pair of sciss- **HOW DID HE-WHY DID HE!? OH GOD, HE WAS LOOKING AT ME WITH THAT LOOK IN HIS EYES.** I screamed, and jumped a few feet into the air, automatically clinging onto the first thing I could grab onto. "Bakagami, I never knew you liked me so much~" The tanned asshat sneered, giving my ass a squeeze, as he carried me bridal-style.  **OH F-** I released my hold on him, clutching my abused butt while throwing obscenities at him. He still had the decency to smirk. The others were just looking at us with this look, like 'I know what you two do alone'. WHY DOES MY LIFE SUCK SO MUCH. At least they decided that we should start the game before the weather got even hotter. "Same rules as the previous game, first 5 baskets win." Akashi-sama stated, as everyone got into their respective positions.

First ball was Furihata's. The poor guy twitched around nervously, holding the ball in his trembling hands. Seeing him in this state made me feel sorry for him, so I signalled over to him to pass the ball to me. "Oi, Furihata! Over here!" I waved at him, quickly moving to open space. He sighed in relief, before shakily directing the ball to me. Unfortunately, Takao caught the ball rather easily. The weird thing was, Midorima was in a shooting pose, even though he didn't have the ball in his hands. It was so awkward, y'know? Like he was holding onto air. Then all of a sudden, the raven-haired male passed to him. "Shin-chan, don't miss!~" He called out, as Kuroko went to block the green-haired man. However, Kuroko was late by a few seconds. The very moment the basketball had made contact with Midorima's fingers, it was sent high up in the air at astonishing speed, before falling through the hoop. Emerald streaks of light flashed from forest-green pupils. "Looks like Shin-chan finally entered the zone." Takao smirked, clapping his tsundere teammate on the shoulder.

The Zone? So this is what it's like. If I'm not wrong, his movements were faster and more accurate. This 'Zone' seems pretty cool, apart from its name. Anyways, 1- 0. We better catch up before anyone else on the other team uses the Zone. Besides, how do you even enter the Zone? What does it feel like when you enter? Maybe I should give it a shot? "Oh, you've finally entered the Zone, Midorimacchi~" A happy Kise cheered. " Man proposes, God disposes. I want to win, nanodayo." Midorima answered, yet he seemed happy that he had entered. Woah, so its hard to enter? " Apart from Midorima-kun, Takao-kun, Furihata-kun, and Himuro-kun, all of us have entered the zone." Kuroko told me. Screw that, I'll just play as per normal then. 

I grabbed hold of the ball, dribbling it towards the basket. All of a sudden, Midorima and Tatsu-nii were in front of me. Of one accord, they reached towards the ball. No, I must win for my teammates! I thought, channelling my thoughts to myself, willing my arms and legs to work faster.Then, I felt as if I was drowning in water, slowly sinking further and further down. Midorima seemed to be moving at normal speed, but the others seemed to be moving much, much slower than before. My limbs felt lighter than usual, like I could literally fly if I wanted to. Quickly, I dashed towards the basket, sinking the ball in. I seemed to stay in the air longer too? When I got down to the ground again, everyone was staring at me in disbelief. "....what?" I asked, curious at their expressions. Heck, Takao looked like someone had told him that his 'Shin-chan' was not cute. "Y-you entered....the Zone.....?" Kuroko asked, polite speech gone down the drain. I knew he was human, at least a small part of his. 

This.....was the Zone? Everyone seemed to be moving in slow-motion. Which was kinda funny, I'll have to admit. "Mirror Tiger, there's red lasers coming out of your eyes." Aomine teased, although he looked pretty surprised. He received a jab to his stomach for his  _compliments,_ causing him to double over in pain. At least it was a draw now, 1 - 1. Tatsu-nii got the ball next, and passed to his purple-haired teammate. Then, everyone (from our team) seemed to crowd around him, to try and block him. Almost immediately, a dark purplish aura seemed to surround him, strands of violet hair starting to hover around his face. Streaks of violet danced from his eyes. Oh crap, him too? Wait.....Kuroko mentioned that the rest of the GoM......shit. I'm pretty screwed. Murasakibara barged through the defence as if it weren't there, and slammed the basket ball in. The post nearly fell done, scaring quite a few of us. "It's called Thor's Hammer." Kuroko kindly mentioned to me. The aura around Murasakibara was really scary and menancing.....I don't even want to think about Akashi-san in the Zone. So, 2 - 1.

Next ball was Aomine's. With that self-conceited smirk, he casually dribbled the ball, before indigo light darted from his blue eyes. Wait, he could control it?! He's gotta teach me that one day! He moved seamlessly through the blockers, then made one of his famous 'formless shots'. For those few seconds, he looked kinda cool. Just.....for a few seconds. "-micchi~ KAGAMICCHI~~~!" The bubbly model shot up in front of me, waving his hand in front of my face. "Hey, Kagamicchi, stop drooling while looking at Aominecchi, you're so obvious~!" He beamed, releasing about a million fuckin' rays of sunlight from his glistening teeth as the light got reflected off. Immediately, I wiped the corners of my mouth, flushing a bright pink. "Wh-who was drooling while watching that ganguro asshole!?" I squawked indignantly, trying to hide my flushed cheeks. Those darned things just won't cool down! A-at least it's 2 - 2 now.

Everyone else who could enter the Zone pretty much entered it immediately. Which was kinda weird, seeing flashes of gold, sky blue and ruby. Kinda scary too. Especially Akashi-sama, who had by far the most intimidating aura around him. Slowly, I felt myself sinking further and further into the Zone, as if I were being sucked into a vortex. Kise was there, holding the ball. Wait, how did he? Wasn't he blocking me a few seconds ago? He proceeded to quickly make his way to the basket. Furihata was in front of him, but fell for some weird reason. Weird, right? Lastly, Kise slammed in the ball, with the same intensity of Murasakibara. I swear it was exactly the same. Which was freaky as shit. Holy crap, am I hallucinating? 3 - 2, not in our favour. "Oh, Kagamicchi, that was my evolved version of Perfect Copy-ssu~ It doesn't last that long though~" The happy-go-lucky golden retriever exclaimed, bounding up to his teammates to give them high-fives.

Kuroko did his freaky disappearing act, there one second, gone the next. I don't think anyone even touched the ball, or came close to it. Even Kise with his Perfect Copy of Emperor Eye couldn't stop him, as Kuroko had this 'Quasi-Emperor Eye' that allowed him to predict everyone's movements one step faster than Akashi-san, including the red-headed emperor himself. Of course, Kuroko ended it with his famous Phantom Shot, ball only reappearing after it had fallen through the hoop cleanly. Him and his magic tricks. He makes a great basketballer, and magician. Add awesome friend to the list. So yeah, just by himself, he had managed to bring the score to a draw again. Hey, score to a draw! That rhymes! Kinda! 3 - 3.

After a stunning display of Kuroko's greatness, Akashi-san decided it was his turn to show who called the shots around here. Or probably to impress Furihata. Probably the latter. The second he got the ball, he just uttered a command. " **Kneel.** " With that single word, everyone just about collapsed to the ground. Then, he just sass-walked his way (just a word that I made up, mind you) to the basket and shot it in. After that, he lifted his scissors to his face-  **WHAT THE FUCK. HOW THE FUCK. WHERE THE FUCK. WHY THE FUCK. WHEN THE FUCK. WHO THE FUCK. .......FUCK.** SOMEONE SHOULD PERMANENTLY REMOVE HIS SCISSORS FROM HIM. FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE. He did his 'snip-snip' thingy with that scary aura radiating from him, looking so much like the devil. U-uh, 3 - 4, just one more point to win! 

Those who couldn't activate the Zone looked kinda tired by now, and my body was feeling rather drained. Maybe I used the Zone too much, or this was just an after effect. Looking at Midorima, I realized he also looked pretty weak at this moment. Aomine, however, looked fresh as a fuckin' daisy. The rest who got into the Zone too. Even Kuroko, who I expected would drop down dead rather quickly. Then, I made eye-contact with Kuroko. He looked back, calm fire burning in his eyes. Tatsu-nii received the ball, heading towards the end-court. Then, I felt that strong connection of friendship with Kuroko. Our broship. Yeah, that's what I'll call it.  Our eyes met. I felt like I was thrust through a raging tornado, as my movements became more fluid. So had Kuroko's, I noticed. I realised he was using 'Misdirection', as his hand flicked the ball deftly from Tatsu-nii. It landed into my palm perfectly, as I continued our relay without a pause in our pace. It felt, natural. The static in Kuroko's eyes seemed to increase, as I felt a surge of energy course through my body. I felt myself drowning deeper, then, everything burst into light. I jammed the basketball into the hoop, gripping onto the metal rim. Then, I felt the entire basketball post give way. Quick as a flash, I released my grip, darting a distance away from it. Everyone else also reacted quickly, dashing away from the post as it fell forward with a crash. Oh, guess it couldn't withstand all the dunking. "Kagami....you got past the second gate...the direct zone drive...." Aomine looked pretty flabbergasted. Suddenly, he started crying. "All along, it was you, Tetsu...."

My confused face must have said everything. " It's like, uh, how do I put this." Aomine scratched the back of his neck, recovered from his shock. "After you break past the first gate, you enter the Zone. Then, y'know that sinking feeling you get? That happens when you're in the Zone. When you sink to the bottom, you unleash your full potential?" I nodded, as he continued. "At the bottom, there's a second gate. The one you opened, that leads to the direct drive zone. There's a gatekeeper that guards the gate. Never would've known it would turn out to be Tetsu. But it makes sense now, no wonder I could never get through the second gate...." "Dude, that actually made sense!" I replied, grasping hold of his logic rather quickly. Midorima muttered something about how idiots understand their own species, while Takao was just guffawing at what his precious 'Shin-chan' had said. Well, our team won in the end!

Physically drained, we trudged back to our tents, as the sun set slowly. I didn't even realize we've been playing that long. To me, it felt like less than an hour had passed. I took a long soak in the bath. Yes, Aomine had interrupted it by barging in and saying how we could take a bath together to save water and stuff like that. Me, being too tired to even talk back, simply shifted to make space for him, as he helped to wash my ears and tail. Heck, he even massaged my shoulders! Yeah, he was a pretty cool guy for now. Aomine even carried me out of the bath and set me on our bed gently. We kinda fell asleep with our limbs wound around each other, as I pressed against his warmth.


	15. What I never knew

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took so long ; _ ;  
> I can't update much of the other fics either ; A ;

Over the span of the next few weeks, I had grown closer to the rest of our exclusive group. Also, I found out rather interesting facts about them too.

Did you know that Kise Ryouta, who seemed all happy-go-lucky, could actually be serious? Really, there was also a stern side to him. And he was also afraid of earthworms, which explained his unwillingness to go out in the rain without being "in full suit-armour"(which consisted of rain boots, coat, and a bright yellow umbrella) and avoiding muddy puddles at all costs. I swear he almost scaled a tree just to go around a particularly large puddle. 

Akashi-san liked to play shogi in his spare time. He had a spare set in the tent that he and Furihata shared, and was also teaching the brunet a few basic moves and strategies. He was also a world champion before he retired from the world of shogi, saying that it had grown 'boring' and 'predictable'. He had a look of sadistic glee on his face though, when he beat Midorima at the game. Tch,  _'boring'_ my ass. Clever people I guess. Not only that, I think he has an obsession with sharp objects. Heck, I even found a pistol under his pillow. Scary.

Kuroko was a big fan of Sherlock Holmes. His favourite was 'A study of scarlet', which he had reread many times, probably close to a hundred. He used misdirection to get things he wanted, sometimes. Like when him and Kise were at a bookstore, he slipped the new series of Sherlock Holmes's novel into the shopping cart without the blonde noticing. It was only when they had paid for the books, then it was finally noticed. He still got the book in the end though. I suppose he was pleased of himself, although Kise probably noticed at that time.

Aomine had a knack for catching living things. Cicadas, crickets, crayfish, you name it, he could probably find a way to trap it. I suppose he was only smart in that sense. There was a time where he captured a live field mouse and hid it in my drawer. Imagine the fright I got when the creature escaped when I was reaching in to find a pen! Of course, I gave Aomine my darkest glare after I found out he had committed the crime. He also has an aversion to bees. Don't know why, but the second he hears the buzzing, he starts bolting.

Murasakibara could bake, and pretty well too. He could even make Patience cake, which was a cake comprising of many layers of sponge cake, having to be perfectly layered to create the masterpiece. Even experts found the cake rather difficult to bake, with the many layers to deal with. He also made a mean Rainbow cake, cake fluffy yet moist, texture of the icing smooth and the right amount of creamy. Oh, he could open a bakery as a part-time job. He could earn a bit extra that way, to pay for his food expenses.

Takao turned out to be a bit of a pun master, cracking indecent jokes left, right and center. Yes, they were dirty jokes, and he rather got a crack out of his 'Shin-chan looking so adorable in his blushing state~'. I swear that man can live off Midorima alone. Midorima is like, the water offered to a thirsty man in the desert, in his eyes. Some of the jokes are rather crude sounding though. He also likes to listen to gossip. He could be everywhere at once, just to hear snippets of morning escapades(mostly me from Aomine) or murmuring of sweet nothings into their partners ears(probably everyone else). 

Midorima actually cared for people, under his cold and aloof demeanor. Once, Takao got into a bit of a scrape with some alleycat during one of our rare trips, and although the scratches were rather small and barely grazing the skin, Midorima disinfected it with some disinfectant he he brought along(yes, it was his lucky item for the day) and put a plaster on it to prevent it from getting infected. For the whole of that day, he hovered near the hawk-eyed man, looking out for any felines that might do harm to Takao. Oh, talking about cats, he also rather dislikes them. Apparently he got scratched by one when he was a young boy. Ah, traumatic experiences that I can relate to.

Furihata is quite good at cooking, compared to  _ahem, ahem, you know who those two are._ He's also a good listener, I can tell from the amount of ranting he had to put up with from me(pardon me, he was the only one there). Furihata is really thoughtful, and kind. He shared his omelette sandwich with me once, when he saw that I was still hungry and had finished my own share. Yep, really kind. He has a slight fear of heights, which I found out about when Kise tried to teach him the trapeze once. He ended up breaking down on the platform after a few minutes of getting on it, and it took an hour for Akashi-san to persuade him to come down.

 Tatsu-nii is good at skateboarding, he keeps a skateboard under his bed. He looks really cool when he performs all kinds of tricks with it! The skateboard has flame designs on it, and is a glossy black all over the board. When he's not making snacks or playing basketball, he'll also teach me some moves on his skateboard, lending it to me for me to practice. He's kinda protective of it though, and always keeps it in tip-top condition. He also likes going on nature treks with Kuroko, and the two would often spend a few hours "being one with nature". Honestly, they're just walking all over dinosaur poo fossils. Yes, I said poo. 

So, that's basically what my family of ten(including me) are like. Of course, all of you guys should know enough of me by now, so I shan't bore you all with stuff about me, lol. Also, I think Aomine hates me or something. Every time he sees me, he avoids me, and barely makes small talk with me. We never share the same bed anymore, and there's a sort of tension in the room when both of us are in it. Then again, maybe he never liked me much in the first place.... "Kagami-kun, so you  _do_ admit that you like Aomine-kun?" The blue-haired shadow popped out of nowhere, scaring the shit outta me. " **GOD, CAN YOU NOT."** I sighed, gesturing exasperatedly, patting the area above my heart lightly as I tried to calm myself down.

" And I dunno what you're talking about." I mumbled lowly, eyes quickly escaping from his piercing blue ones. "Kagami-kun..." He gave me this look, a very weird look. Like he knew something I didn't. And I didn't like that look. Because he was most likely right. Also, why am I caring so much about that Ahomine!? T-that person can fall in a puddle for all I care! Hmph! 

That night, Aomine and I slept with our backs facing each other, a large chasm between our separated beds.

**Author's Note:**

> It'll be appreciated if prompts are left.


End file.
